Grant Awards
Fall 2023 Grants and Special Awards
Fall 2022 Grants and Special Awards
Fall 2021 Grants and Special Awards
Fall 2020 Grants and Special Awards
Grants
| Campus | Title | Abstract | Staff | Amount |
| Acton Elementary School | Kindness Rocks | Students will transform an unsightly area in front of the school into a welcome respite where everyone can immerse themselves in kindness through collaborative art. Students will hear the story Scribble Stones and plan their rock art. Then, they will choose a rock and bring their design to life. Next, students will share their learning with their families through a virtual family night. Each family will choose a rock and pick up painting supplies from school. On the virtual family night, families will join together via Google Meet and hear the story There's Only One You and be invited to create a stone for our community kindness rock garden. | Brandy Lillagore | $ 1,793.47 |
| Acton Elementary School | Leadership on the Move | Many school discipline issues begin on the morning bus commute to school. To address this, Leadership on the Move is designed to train students to lead their bus-riding peers. Student volunteers attend lunchtime training where they collect data and generate ideas in order to create and maintain a peaceful, safe and enjoyable bus ride. Student leaders receive t-shirts, clipboards and "The Peaceful School Bus" curriculum training. Leaders target problem areas and brainstorm solutions to combat bullying behaviors and mentor younger students by modeling positive conflict-resolution strategies and exhibiting respect towards others, which fosters academic achievement by improving behavior and morale. | Crystal Kemper, Jill Jernigan, Kali Saleh, Angie Payne and Ross Green | $ 360.00 |
| Acton Middle School |
Teaching Creativity Without Limits H-E-B Tournament of Champions |
Transforming our artist from dreamers into makers starts with the right equipment. Adding a Glowforge Plus to our art department allows students to create, cut, engrave, etch, and build artwork from a variety of materials. This equipment transforms lessons and enhances the learning environment by allowing students to bring their ideas to life. It further develops their understanding of form from a digital aspect. We will expand student learning by not only creating and constructing their art pieces, but we will also market their designs, and sell their products for the annual spring fundraiser. | Mindy Badgett, Kelly Baker and Jennifer Hyde | $ 3,995.00 |
| Acton Middle School | “Walkie”ing and “Talking”ing | This grant provides 12 DEWALT DXFRS300 1-Watt Heavy Duty Walkie Talkies to help facilitate use of the Outdoor Learning Center on the AMS Campus. Because there are numerous adults and students involved in the operation when the OLC is being used, efficient communication is a must. The walkie talkies will provide an avenue to communicate more effectively and will enhance safety of all who are participating and overseeing an adventure in the OLC. | Julie Morris, Autumn Lane, Scott Carpenter, and Jeremy Scott | $ 667.96 |
| Baccus Elementary School | The Path to Resetting Your Brain | Taking a mental break can lead to breakthroughs one might need in order to succeed. Our students need a safe place to go when their world is too overwhelming. Imagine a place where a teacher can lead a child by the hand to hop along lily pads and learn to regain focus and control. A sensory path is made up of strategic vinyl cutouts adhered to the floor to guide them through a path of tasks and imagery that reduces stress all while making connections with letters, numbers, and gross motor movements and gaining control of their body and mind. | Nadya Williamson and Tammy Kelley | $ 195.77 |
| Baccus Elementary School | Bodies Moving, Minds Learning | What could be cuter than a room full of pre-kindergarten students singing and playing? Music and movement engages all areas of child development and skills for school readiness: including intellectual, social emotional, coordination, balance, gross motor, fine motor, language, and literacy. This year our prekindergarten program is full day for the first time in our district. In recent years they have not been provided the opportunity to participate in P.E. or music classes. We would like to provide them with developmentally appropriate equipment and supplies to utilize during these learning opportunities. | Nadya Williamson and Tammy Kelley | $ 944.80 |
| Baccus Elementary School | Seriously Scientific Second Graders | Hands-on learning is the best way of learning for small students. In our current pandemic situation, sharing materials between classrooms is discouraged. Science Activity Tubs and Science Discovery Chests would enable our students to explore science concepts right in their own classrooms. Kits are designed to incorporate math, language, and science. Science understanding is dependent upon actually DOING science. These tubs and chests will help deepen our students’ scientific knowledge. | Suzanne Back, Shelli Briggs, Patti Collier, Kelsey Helyer and Meghan Payne | $ 1,456.00 |
| Baccus Elementary School | The Wonder of Water & Wacky Bugs: Science Exploration | Our world has been turned upside down by the current pandemic. Learning opportunities that once had been taken for granted are unavailable since public museums are still closed or restricted. Hands-on Learning is still the best way for second grade students to learn about the natural world. What do you do when you cannot visit the museum? Bring the museum to school! Students still need the experiences the museum educators can bring to us. | Suzanne Back, Shelli Briggs, Patti Collier, Kelsey Helyer and Meghan Payne | $ 1,280.00 |
| Brawner Elementary School | Coding Without Computers | With technology being a big part of students' lives at home and in school, they need to understand how computers operate. Turing Tumble is a hands-on model that helps students understand how computers think. It also helps them solve logic puzzles. Building robots, playing games about how to code and build electronic kits have been helpful to our students. They treat computers like abstract black boxes. We want students to understand how computers work through solving puzzles. This game can be played independently or collaboratively and challenges students to think logically, like a computer. | Jennifer Halbert, Katie Jensen and Eduardo Chapa | $ 1,103.60 |
| Brawner Elementary School | Breaking Out of The Box | Children learn best through active play. Breakout EDU provides an engaging game-based experience for students. Breakout EDU breakout boxes can be used by all students by differentiating the breakout levels. Games (breakouts) encourage teamwork, critical thinking, and self-assessment within a challenge that ignites their intrinsic desire to succeed. Students learn soft skills and to overcome obstacles to achieve success. | Shannon Butler, Sherri Fozkos and Ashley Gill | $ 1,999.00 |
| Emma Roberson Early Learning Academy | Engaging Littles Through Technology | With the addition of Osmo’s innovative Little Genius Kit + Early Math Adventure, the youngest pirates will be utilizing our mini iPads in an age appropriate manner, combining kinesthetic, hands on learning with technology. Many times, technology is ineffective with the youngest students due to a disconnect between the brain and the learning. When students are able to tactically manipulate objects the learning connections made are stronger and last longer. Osmo has a long history of combining tangible objects with enticing technology resulting in authentic learning connections for students. | Kellie Pollock | $ 3,479.71 |
| Granbury High School |
Purposeful Production Studios Willie Crossland Memorial |
American Sign Language students from beginner level 1 to advanced level 4 honors, will be equipped to create quality, professional and purposeful recordings of their developing sign language skills. Empowering students to unleash their creativity with the use of green screens, quality lighting and a designated private recording area will allow students to create professional videos that highlight their skills and allow for better evaluations as well as sharing student driven productions with their peers, teachers, parents and even the community. Having the ability to craft creative and professional videos allows for collaboration with other teachers and classes. | Elizabeth Robblee and Banita Elkins | $ 2,007.80 |
| Granbury Middle School | Pirate Productions: Have We Got News for You! | The students will have the opportunity to write, produce and edit a weekly information-based news and school event broadcast to be shown during advisory. All technology students will have the opportunity to work on the show. This year our goal will be for each class to produce the show two times. In a full school year, each class would have the opportunity to produce a show four times. This video production project encompasses numerous TEKS in both technology and ELA and also aligns with our school's Campus Improvement Plan. | Wendy Clark, Annie Dueck, Bethany Smith, and Zachary Stumbaugh | $ 1,053.88 |
| Granbury Middle School | Projecting the Microscopic World | It is hard to deny hands on learning in the best type of learning in a classroom. When students are using all five of their sense to touch, smell, taste, see, or hear what is happening within the classroom, they are much more likely to participate, retain, and take ownership of their learning. Often, they become eager to learn more and stop simply digesting information but begin to imagine new ways to utilize information. It is our goal to provide as many hands on, innovative, real world activities for our learners to engage in. One way to do this is by obtaining a SMARTSCOPE. Students will be able to see images at a microscopic level projected on the board/screen. As a class, we can project bacteria, plant cells, animal cells, and many more microscopic beings for all to view simultaneously thus providing the opportunity for rich class discussions and bring our classroom to life. | Rachel Jones and Laura Williams | $ 768.00 |
| Granbury Middle School and STARS Accelerated High School | Learning in the Outdoors | Brain studies show that being outdoors increases brain activity, learning, and reduces stress. It also serves as an opportunity to teach students about stewardship of the environment and the science of the natural world around them. The Outdoor Learning Center located near the ag barn is a beautiful example of the Texas Lakes and Praries ecosystem, which includes wildlife and a fishpond. This location offers a new look at TEKS and PBL through the lens of nature. This grant will provide additional outdoor tables/benches to allow more classes to utilize the Outdoor Learning Area. | Billie Robertson, Deborah Pina, Jeff Ghiglieri, and Jennifer Hughes | $ 3,785.00 |
| Oak Woods School | Full STEAM Ahead | Children today need hands-on learning experiences that not only incorporate reading and math, but also include science and real-world problem-solving skills. STEAM projects allow students to use their knowledge with hands-on experiences that incorporate math, science, reading, and social studies, as well as creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving experiences. STEAM bins will prepare our students for their best future. | Lindsey McPherson, Kristen Thigpen, Shari Middlebrook, and Jacki Darouse | $ 2,651.88 |
| Oak Woods School | We've Got the Beat | DrumFit provides a unique opportunity to meet our students' brain development needs along with physical health and wellbeing. The combination of keeping the beat and moving your body while drumming provides whole body/whole brain type experiences, develops reflexes and spatial awareness, and has many benefits psychologically and physiologically. | Cami Gilbert and Erin Howard | $ 3,457.52 |
| STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Little Engineers Shape Our World | We would like to purchase Fabmaker studio equipment that provides an innovative opportunity for students to explore and create with a kid friendly design program similar to CAD. This would allow teachers to extend lessons in all content areas to showcase learning. | Patricia Young, Paula Adams, Karissa Glenn, Katie Reolfi and Jairo Martinez | $ 2,407.50 |
| STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Fitness Fun 4 Us | Now that our classes are separated at recess to avoid the spread of the corona virus, we would like to have equipment in more than one area for the students to access. By adding fitness equipment around the outside of the track, we can use it at recess and PE. The new equipment will also be different from that which is available on the playground. In addition, we will get equipment that will help us build our upper body strength which in the past has been the weakest area of our scores on the state fitness test. | Lauri Morgan, Kim Swann, Jairo Martinez, and Kelli Godi | $ 3,168.00 |
| STEAM Academy at Mambrino |
Adventure Is A Page Away H-E-B Tournament of Champions |
We are requesting a Bookworm vending machine that will be filled with a variety of books. Students will earn golden tokens through positive behavior, acts of kindness, and attendance. They can use these tokens to select new books for their reading enjoyment. This grant will increase the excitement about reading and exploring books along with increasing comprehension and engagement. Not only will student literacy improve, but so will the family relationship through reading. This will direct our students toward literacy in a fun and creative way while preparing them for a very bright and literate future. | Liz Howard, Randi McPhate, Oakley Tyler, Jairo Martinez, Jessica Johnson, and Stacie Brown | $ 3,500.00 |
| STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Littles Learning on the Go! | We are living in a unique time! Nevertheless, our kids still need and deserve the very best education we can give them. With so many events now off limits or restricted, we need to be more innovative than ever. We want to provide on the go resources for our kindergarten classes to take the learning outside the classroom. The halls, the playgrounds, the cafeteria…. wherever we can! | Karissa Glenn | $ 3,431.25 |
| $43,506.14 |
Awards
| Campus | Award | Staff | Amount |
| Brawner Elementary School |
Rock Climbing Wall |
Sonja Chastain | $16,000.00 |
| Granbury High School |
CTE Certification Assistance Granbury Optimist Club |
Jimmy Dawson | $7,500.00 |
| Total | $23,500.00 |
Fall 2019 Grants and Special Awards
Fall 2018 Grants and Special Awards
Grants
| Name of Grant | Campus | Teachers | Abstract | $ Amount |
| The Gran(bury) Canon - Big Canyon Balloon | Acton Elementary School | Angela Payne Melissa Galofaro |
Big Canyon Balloon, also known as Rocky, is a huge 15 foot tall air balloon model of a canyon. Spark Point Innovations brings Rocky and a team of certified teachers to present an unforgettable, interactive earth science experience in a small group setting for all 4th and 5th graders. During the presentation, students will experience a variety of processes such as erosion, weathering, land formation, fossil fuel formation, sedimentary rock cycle, fossils, and more. All content covered is directly aligned to our state curriculum. | $2,204.45 |
| Adopt a Grandparent Reading Program | Acton Elementary School | Paula Adams | When older adults contribute to the well-being of youth, it cultivates a sense of purpose that extends benefits into the younger generation. The use of Google Hangouts allows us to bridge generations through reading as we connect with a local retirement center. This process will not only have visible effects on the older adults feeling of worthiness but also help to build reading skills and confidence of struggling readers. The acceptance to this grant proposal will allow for “intergenerational engagement” between the young and the old alike. | $152.76 |
| Dumpster Diving to Help the Earth | Acton Elementary School | Ruth Matheny Ginger Bryan Kristina Jenkins Amanda Rucka Debbie Wilson Katy Grimes |
The second grade teachers would like to bring a high energy academic presenter to our school to kick off a spring PBL project. The PBL project combines science and language arts to help students discover how they can play an important role in protecting our natural resources. The presenter will teach the students life-long skills as they learn about the 4 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Read. The students will learn how to become Eco-Superstars as they watch ‘Dumpster Doug’ travel the Earth in search of pollution. Other grade levels will have the opportunity to attend a second performance. | $2,400.00 |
| Light Up Learning | Acton Elementary School | Tina Wagner Angie Gilliam Misty Higgins Serena Rivera Molly Richie Amanda McClaran Jessica Tanksley |
The goal of this grant is to create a learning station within each kindergarten classroom to incorporate hands-on, collaborative and creative learning by providing students with age appropriate tools to manipulate visually and kinesthetically through the use of a light table and manipulatives. | $2,765.79 |
| A World of Discovery | Baccus Elementary School |
Cindy Davis Morgan Taylor Lynsey Woods Angela Brown |
The Fort Worth Science museum for children is a wonderful resource in our area that is not affordable for children of diverse economic backgrounds by providing this opportunity for students to explore, discover and create. This will encourage the love of science and technology in a hands-on environment, while encouraging children at an early age to explore areas of interest and make connections to the ever changing world around us. We, as a district, are striving for critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills that will open unlimited possibilities for all children. | $880.00 |
| Museum Marauders | Baccus Elementary School | Suzanne Back Anita Gill Valerie Harris Suzan Watson |
Meet a meteorologist; see real dinosaur bones; create your own virtual creature; visit the children’s museum; learn about engineering or dolphins. Students can do all this and more at the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History. Most students at my school have never had an opportunity to visit the museum, so this is an incredible learning activity for them which will provide much needed background knowledge. | $972.00 |
| Traveling Back in Time | Baccus Elementary School | Suzanne Back Anita Gill Valerie Harris Suzan Watson |
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, just imagine what an interactive, hands-on experience is worth. Students can witness the Texas pioneer life, meet a blacksmith, sit in a one-room schoolhouse, and dip a candle at Log Cabin Village. It’s the next best thing to time travel. This trip would give students background knowledge they lack because they have few life experiences to reflect upon. Meeting historical interpreters will inspire students as they prepare to create their own living history museum of Famous Americans. | $532.00 |
| Creativity is Blooming Through STEM | Baccus Elementary School | Suzanne Back Anita Gill Valerie Harris Suzan Watson |
Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Having a mobile maker-space cart would allow our students to do just that: be creative while having fun. Equipped with tools, gears, tubes and more, this cart would allow students to plan and build a variety of projects. The cart would be utilized during our planned enrichment days. | $699.00 |
| Inspiring the Learning | Baccus Elementary School | Cindy Luedeker Shelli Briggs Leah Archer Kayce Gilman |
Imagine using a robot for collaborative problem solving and creation while inspiring your “learning spark”! By utilizing the Sphero SPRK, students will be inspired with a love for robotics, coding, and STEAM activities, all wrapped up in curiosity and creativity. Students will interact with peers to create, discover, analyze, and evaluate. They will be prepared to use the communication and technology tools of today through real world experiences. Their achievements, along with the ability to share them with others, will boost their confidence and develop today’s students into successful employees of tomorrow. | $1,199.99 |
| Bloom and Grow- Life is a Garden | Baccus Elementary School | Cindy Davis Morgan Taylor Lynsey Woods Angela Brown George Robinson Vonda Ore Lori Ramirez Macy Witthause |
The science of living things is a part of our world like no other. It is the foundation of our existence and everything around us. Science can spark curiosity, communication, and collaboration in children of all ages. The magic of discovering the “how”, the “why”, and the “what” of our living environment will continue to encourage critical thinking in our young learners. | $3,264.00 |
| Little Learners to Big Thinkers | Roberson Elementary School | Leah McWilliams Tracy Porter Teri Call |
There are several reasons coding is beneficial in PreK. In an article written by Chontelle Bonfiglio, she gave 8 reasons why every child should learn to code. Programming gives kids a challenge and helps them build resilience. Coding teaches children how to think. A child expands their creativity when they learn how to code. Computer programming is the future. There is a lack of skills in the software industry. Coding helps children to have fun with math. With that said on our campus the other grade levels participate in coding activities during their specials time and PreK does not participate in specials. I am writing this grant to get coding activities in our PreK classrooms that allow these benefits to begin early. | $1,658.10 |
| Outdoor Exploration with STEM Adventures | Roberson Elementary School | Leah McWilliams Tracy Porter Teri Call |
The inspiring outdoor living classroom is perfect for sensory exploration outside the classroom. The outdoor kitchen is created for exploratory and water play. It allows young children to use their imagination and show their thinking by creating. The Nature Seek and Sort offer endless ways to incorporate matching, patterning, and vocabulary. Children can seek out objects of certain colors, textures, and other attributes in the great outdoors. Outdoor areas allow children to develop skills related to the scientific research process like making inferences, measuring and observing. These new experiences can trigger learning new words that can enhance their vocabulary knowledge. | $1,147.24 |
| Worldwide Animal Safari | Roberson Elementary School | Debbie Ransleben Pam Adams Gema Aguado Meredith Coffman Shannon Pufal Melissa Smith Nuvia Velazquez |
Participating in a guided, open bus tour will provide an interactive experience for our Title I first grade students. The program offers an up close, real life adventure, featuring 1,100 animals, including 50-plus species of native and non-native animals. The students will make discoveries about animals, many of which are endangered or threatened. They will also learn about conservation, how animals adapt and survive in their environments, and our role in protecting the animals and their habitat, locally and worldwide. The students will then research an animal of their choice and present their new knowledge. | $3,076.23 |
| Climbing to Success | Roberson Elementary School | Victor Sanchez | The use of the Climbing Rock Wall that we currently have in our gym is being used for classroom comprehension and a reinforcement manipulative to help those students that cannot process the learning and teaching methods in classroom settings to a more hands on approach. | $994.00 |
| Lights, Camera, Action- Little Pirate News to Bedtime Stories | Roberson Elementary School | Sheri Doucet Kellie Lambert |
Lights, camera, action! Students will have the opportunity to experience first-hand what it means to be part of a news crew. Through a student created news broadcast, students will learn how to create by filming, interviewing, and editing programs to be broadcasted out to parents. The sky’s the limit with green screen technology and their enormous imaginations. Starting with 2nd graders taking charge of the program down to PreK students being part of the creative filming. Teachers will also be filming Little Pirate Bedtime Stories which will be shared with a QR code for students to enjoy at home. | $1,002.18 |
| Can You Sense the Learning | Roberson Elementary School | Sheri Doucet | Can you sense the learning through this interactive learning path. The interactive path created out of adhesive craft vinyl cut outs, waxed over, and positioned purposefully, will give students the opportunity to work on fine motor skills, letter and number recognition, or an area to regain their composer for those students facing challenges and are experience sensory overload.. Our sensory path will be designed for Prek students through 2nd graders in mind. | $179.59 |
| Let Go of My...LEGO | STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Kim Swann Aubrey Allen Deb Miller Deborah Ottoway |
LEGO Education will provide engaging, hands-on activities that will link real-life experiences and creativity to STEAM concepts. Students will problem solve and discover how science, technology, engineering, art and math affect their everyday life. LEGO will bring a creative spirit to problem solving while developing essential skills for the 21st century. | $1,758.90 |
| No Bone About It STEAM Museum | STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Kim Swann Deborah Ottaway |
The STEAM Museum is a hands on production offered by Mobile Ed Productions focused on STEAM curriculum of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The STEAM Museum offers workstations that complement our existing curriculum by exposing students to high-tech fields of study. It seamlessly blends the areas of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through interactive exhibits brought right to the student! | $1,295.00 |
| 21st Century Skills for the Ages | STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Lauri Morgan Bonnie Oates Kathy Anderson |
Our campus is implementing a time for older and younger students to work together. Our goal for this time is to work on 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, flexibility, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, leadership, initiative, productivity and social skills. We are working in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts or mathematics during these times. Because our groups are 200-250, we find ourselves in need of more equipment and supplies than we currently have available. We would like to add to what our campus already has to enhance and vary the activities that we can do with our large group. Anything purchased for this purpose would be available for individual classroom teachers to check out and use for further enrichment. | $2,839.77 |
| Learning Happens Everywhere | STEAM Academy at Mambrino | Tina Winchester Jan Krause Patti Young Lannie Walling Melissa Pratt Katie Jordan |
An outdoor classroom will promote students to analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about their understanding while putting their learning to the test with a variety of tools including rulers, pan balances, scales, magnifying glasses, catapults, musical elements, and work mats created on the sidewalk of their playground. The playground will be transformed to spark curiosity with hands on activities and games. Allowing students to get involved and interested, explore repurposed and reused material, practice skills and discover new knowledge while “playing.” The space promotes students to develop questioning, revisit, test or even teach while exploring the world around them. | $3,484.48 |
| Steve Spangler Science | Oak Woods School | Candie Atkinson Lynna Kirkpatrick |
Scientific problem solving will come to life for kindergarten students as they explore concepts like force and motion, earth and space, and matter and energy. Activities vary from Gravi-Goo to geysers to magic trees and will enhance the GISD scope allowing students hands-on exploration and discovery. | $831.66 |
| Engineers Come in All Sizes | Oak Woods School | Lori Williams Debbie Atherton Samantha Barnett Michela Anderson Donica Martin |
It is never too early to interest kids in engineering projects, kids today need to be challenged in ways that computer programs and curriculum content cannot. STEM projects incorporate math, science, and the creative parts of their minds. Nothing makes a teacher happier than when students are creating, building and using their minds for real life applications. Our workforce needs STEM minded applications, and it’s time to make it a part of our everyday life. | $2,269.85 |
| Day of Drumming | Oak Woods School | Cami Gilbert Mitzi Johnson Lissa Oliver |
Drumming is an all-inclusive experience no matter the age. Drum circles use the brain in ways that can enhance academics. It provides opportunities to be creative and be a part of a group. In addition, specific studies conducted by professionals in the fields of music therapy and mental health show us that drumming reduces anxiety and stress, and promotes a sense of well being and accomplishment. We believe this experience will help our campus by allowing group cohesion throughout each grade level. | $1,200.00 |
| Don’t Drop the Mic | Oak Woods School | Lissa Oliver Leska Miller |
Students will collaborate, plan, write, produce, and publish podcasts for the campus and the community over a variety of student selected topics. The grant will purchase podcasting equipment needed for a professional podcast while the grant writers will provide opportunities for all students to participate in a component of their choosing in the school podcast episodes. | $699.95 |
| Science the Real Super Hero | Brawner Intermediate School | Alicia Allen Jennifer Halbert |
We want to bring science to life for our students...without leaving the classroom! The Auditorium Program and Lab-Based Programs provided by the experts at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science will offer campus-based opportunities for our student. All students will discover the science behind our favorite superheroes and unlock the mysteries behind their AMAZING powers-while our fifth graders will have the opportunity to engage in a Hands-on exploration of air, weather patterns, water cycle and the suns influence, which is the ultimate driver of atmospheric change. Students will have the opportunity to interact with real-world scientists and deepen their academic knowledge without the cost and time involved with traveling. | $1,965.00 |
| Bring It On & Bring It In | Brawner Intermediate School | Ashley Gill Rachel Ray Adina Brassie Jennifer Halbert Ann Van Zandt |
Bring it on and bring it in! We need to reach beyond our school walls for hands-on experiences to help our students truly conceptualize what they hear and read in the classroom. Bringing the Ft. Worth Nature and Refuge Center to our campus does just that! This program provides an opportunity for our students to see, touch, and investigate live animals and real animal artifacts. Our students need first-hand, hands-on experiences to fully conceptualize and understand these science objectives that extend beyond what is found inside our school walls. Seeing, touching, and doing brings understanding, and understanding brings retention! | $670.00 |
| Let’s “Gobi” Readers Together | Brawner Intermediate School | Leslie Ghiglieri Melody Holly Melissa Black Gwen Newton Ann Van Zandt |
Let’s “Gobi” Readers brings cohesive reading collaboration and writing to each grade level. Fifth grade will read Finding Gobi, fourth grade No Talking, and third grade Angels. Rather than a one book one school format, our spin on one book one grade level allows for this grade-level immersive reading, writing, and technology experience to be used year after year. This project is geared for the 4 C’s (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, & Communication) which are a campus and district priority, as each will be practiced through reading, writing, and technology. | 2696.75 |
| The Diverse Dynamics of Diversity | Brawner Intermediate School | Mary Stennett Karman ChandlerAnn Van Zandt |
Diversity colors our world in many ways! Julian Franklin Productions ‘Color Your World: Diversity’ comes highly recommended. A Stephenville school has chosen him to visit for the past 8+ years! This touching, heartfelt program addresses an important topic in a fun and magical way. All students need to learn what diversity really is and what it truly means. Understanding, tolerance, conflict resolution, accepting differences, and more are addressed. He even brings understanding to diversity in what we choose to read in our library! Let’s present this important topic in a manner our students can beat understand the dynamics of diversity. | $1,275.00 |
| Air! The Invisible Wonder | Brawner Intermediate School | Adina Brassie Ann Van Zandt |
The Invisible Wonder! Air! Through a series of ultra-cool, highly engaging demonstrations explaining the weight of air, the effects of atmosphere, and the properties and action involved in a vacuum, students participate in a dynamic presentation incorporating everything from air cannons to windbags, frisbees, and even a working hovercraft. Students will learn about energy, vacuums, atmospheric pressure, low and high pressure zones, and the principles of lift and flight. With Mobile Ed Productions, students realize energy is not just a science concept, but also about how you perceive science! Students will definitely be ‘energized’ with this production. | $995.00 |
| Creation to Migration | Acton Middle School | Kristi Jones Kim Keys Scott Carpenter Jeremy Scott Kali Jones |
We would like to establish a Butterfly Garden using native plant species. This will be an environmental service project that will be student designed and maintained and will serve as an outdoor learning environment. The project will restore our ecoregion with native flower sanctuaries, butterfly, worm, rock and rain gardens, facilitating cross-curricular learning and outdoor areas for study. Students will learn about soil nutrient cycles, plant growth, pollinators, biotic/abiotic factors and organism interactions within ecosystems. This project will provide collaboration with the local community as well as other campuses. | $2,480.00 |
| Breaking Out the 4 C’s to Unlock Learning | Acton Middle School | Dana Gonzalez David Brister |
Last Spring, my campus sent me to observe an AVID middle school that is made up of: 92% Minority, 70% Hispanic, 35% English Language Learners and 85% Economically Disadvantaged students. Sellers Middle School in Garland was proud to share their STAAR success rates with us. During my visit, I was able to see students come alive with learning. I witnessed a very diverse group of 8th grade students working together to solve problems that would give them the winning combination. I was amazed at how excited the students were to solve challenging problems and how collaboratively they worked together to unlock their boxes. In an ever changing and diverse educational world, teachers are always searching for ways to better engage their students. Breakout Education is one of those strategies that challenges students to use critical thinking, but makes learning fun and interactive. | $1,600.00 |
| Cutting It Up in the Art room | Acton Middle School | Mindy Badgett | Digital Fabrication and Computer Aided Cutting will provide students with opportunities and experiences that will open doors and give them options they might not get otherwise. With this grant, students will use the creative process while learning technical, advertising, and problem solving skills. This knowledge can lead to future careers and learning opportunities and act as a springboard into our CTE program. Students will also impart their knowledge and gifts through service opportunities. This will enable them to share their learning and art with our community. | $748.83 |
| Creating Success Through Listening & Teamwork | Granbury Middle School | Michele Kahne Larry Moore Dawn Crnkovic Emily Ross |
When performing with an instructor or vocally in an ensemble setting, it is required for all students to follow the same beat and tempo. In order to do this correctly, a metronome is used. Unless the metronome can be heard clearly over the playing or singing that is occurring at the same time, success can be difficult to achieve. Allowing equal hearing and stability in the ensemble setting will ensure all students are able to contribute to the success of the ensemble as a whole. | $1,219.95 |
| Breakout EDU | Granbury Middle School | Deborah Pina Billie Robertson |
We would like to purchase six Breakout EDU kits (including Platform Access which includes hundreds of games and a game creator tool) for students in special education classes. These students often struggle with critical thinking and communication skills, which are necessary for 21st century learners. In Breakout EDU games, players work collaboratively to solve a series of critical thinking puzzles in order to open a locked box. Participating in these activities will improve students‘ abilities to collaborate, think critically, communicate, and develop perseverance. | $800.00 |
| Math in Motion | Granbury Middle School | Heather Garcia Karl Kreusel |
What makes one graph steeper than another, what causes a line to rise or fall, why are some lines curved while others are straight? Those are all questions we ask while teaching students about linear and quadratic functions. The purpose of this grant is to obtain funding to purchase 30 Sonic Motion Detectors that connect to graphing calculators. Math 8 and Algebra students use them to collect motion data and examine the effects of their own motion on linear and quadratic graphs. The goal of this grant is to help students make connections to abstract concepts by giving them a concrete experience. | $2,771.10 |
| Culture Club | Granbury Middle School | Megan Guidry Janice Mueller Brandon Wood Jeff Berryman Nova Dea Pat Yelverton |
“Culture Club” is an initiative to develop skills that students of today will need in the next chapter of life. A great need exists among our students population to develop etiquette skills and learn how to successfully engage in a world that may be different from their own. This grant aims to prepare students for that more mature world, by teaching them the skills necessary to successfully navigate among all levels of society. Student lessons will culminate in skills application via a fine dining experience and a formal, fine arts outing. | $2,380.00 |
| What's in Store Outside- Outdoor Learning Area | Granbury Middle School | Jenny Zachery Hughes Jarrod Totman Jillian Parsons |
Many of today’s students spend large amounts of their time indoors interacting with screens and electronic devices. Brain studies show that being outdoors increases brain activity, learning and reduces stress. It also serves as an opportunity to teach students about stewardship of the environment and the science and cycles of the natural world around them. Title 1 campus locations in GISD especially can benefit from an outdoor learning area that allows teachers to bring innovative materials and technology with them for their lessons and store them safely. The Outdoor Learning Area located near the Ag Barn is a beautiful example of the Texas Lakes and Prairies ecosystem, which includes wildlife and a fishpond. This location offers a new look at TEKS and PBL through the lens of nature. This grant will provide for large weatherproof, outdoor secure job box/safes for teachers to load prior to lessons with any equipment or materials needed. It will also provide for a pathway extension that leads to the paved road to help with mobility limited access to the site. | $2,162.00 |
|
Capture Your Surroundings
|
Granbury High School | Todd Gibson Brad Eppler Greg Belleau |
The engineering department is requesting a portable 3D scanner that will allow engineering students to scan objects used for various classroom activities, prototyping, and competitions. Once an object is scanned, the machine creates a virtual model that can be scaled, altered, or used as is. The model can then be 3D printed or milled in the shop. This process will open up a whole new realm of possibilities as students create prototypes and solve problems. This machine will motivate students in their quest to solve real-world problems in their engineering projects and open doors to industry related technology and software. | $3,999.00 |
|
Everyday is Math Invention Convention
|
Granbury High School | Angela Jumper Allison Allen Kristen Titus Connie Jesko Desiree Shahan |
Math is everywhere in our daily lives! A Math invention convention will allow our students to master their class objectives while sharing with third graders how great math really is. Through hands on mentorship high school students can invest in the next generation and its all about math every day. | $2,002.92 |
| Grabbing the Future: Utilizing Hands in Labs for Comprehension & Retention | Granbury High School | Priscilla Lumbreras Alex Albro |
Science is more than understanding a concept and being able to answer a question. Science is being able to make observations of a chemical reaction and then making a connection to the Periodic Table. Science is being able to transform a simple cell phone into a powerful scientific tool that would be able to determine the concentration of harmful dyes in a drink. Science is designing a self-propelled vehicle that uses only an alternative form of energy. Simply put, science is “doing.” With this grant, students will be able to demonstrate scientific knowledge using hands on learning. | $3,729.96 |
| Civil Rights Exploration | Granbury High School | Cindy Leatherman Melissa Knight |
We are applying for a grant to take the UIL Social Studies team on a six-night Civil Rights trip through the South to visit Central High School in Little Rock, the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis where Dr. King was assassinated, Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, and Jackson, Mississippi. We will experience where the major events of the Civil Rights movement occurred and meet with tour guides and local people. We wish to absorb and retain information for the UIL Academic Social Studies competition so that we can win at the district and regional levels and advance to the state competition. | $1,980.00 |
| Marching Band Equipment Enhancement | Granbury High School | Mark Eastin Tahlequah Kirk |
The Granbury Music Program is a very successful program. Due to the significant growth of this program, (percussion has grown more than 2X in 4 years) the needs of the band have exceeded maximum equipment capacity. The Booster Club stepped up this year with the purchase of a new, higher capacity mixer with new input cables. However, this was the limit of their equipment budget for this year. This grant request targets the necessary equipment to provide a complete, innovative solution to the challenges now seen in Band Competitions, including a custom designed and fabricated mixer cart with self-contained stand-by power and additional custom features to improve time needed for field setup and tear down at competitions. Also requested in this grant are state-of-the-art audio amplifiers which will replace the very old amplifiers that are failing or have completely failed. This equipment will alleviate some of the competition barriers Granbury faces when competing against more affluent school districts. | $3,448.00 |
| High Speed Cameras for Physics Video Analysis | Granbury High School | Wade Green Kit Langdon Erica Woodyard Colin Contreras |
High speed video cameras will allow the Physics classes to analyze and make precision measurements of the motion, forces and interactions of real-world events like collisions and sports to increase both engagement and rigor of their classes. | $2,312.00 |
| American Sign Language Cultivation of Learning | Granbury High School | Elizabeth Robblee Banita Elkins |
Providing a collaborative atmosphere to cultivate authentic and organic learning for students enrolled in American Sign Language level I, II, III, & IV as well as engaging early second language learners through partnerships with GISD elementary schools. Provide opportunities for students to present acquired second language skills to the community and through focused competitions that enhance TEK learning level achievement. | $2,137.75 |
|
Sparks & Spareribs
|
Granbury High School | Brianna Langdon Augie Hinojosa Danny Guidry |
This cross-curricular project will teach planning, team work, and communication in multi-faceted groups. The metal fabrication classes will design and create the smoker on a trailer using a variety of techniques and tools; the culinary kids will learn the various cuts of different proteins, different cook times and flavor profiles, and can use the smoker for events and contests; the advertising, entrepreneurship, and marketing dynamics students will determine business costs and profit margins to use for a cookout as well as how to advertise the product and identify potential customers that like different products. We would be able to use the smoker for many other learning opportunities in the future. | $2,116.74 |
|
Wild & Wacky Science
|
All Elementary Schools | Debbie Ransleben Cindy Davis Sherry Gast Shannon Sanchez Kathy Williams Tina Winchester |
Professor Brainius' show is built on a foundation of exciting experiments and anchored with positive, encouraging words. He also uses music and technology to reinforce valuable science concepts. For less than $1 per student, this grant will provide a unique experience for all GISD elementary students to heighten their innate curiosity. The Professor's calling is to invest his non-stop energy and enthusiasm into the next generation of scientists and students. He believes that promoting curiosity, a love of learning, and teaching students to do their best are the most important formulas he can share! | $3,400.00 |
| Total: | $84,396.94 | |||
Special Awards
| Name of Award | Campus | Teachers | Abstract | $ Amount |
|
CTE Certification Assistance Granbury Optimist Club |
Granbury High School | Judy Gentry | GEF CTE for Certification Assistance | $7,500.00 |
| College Visits | STARS Accelerated High School | Margaret Rodriquez Misty Walters |
GEF STARS Award | $958.00 |
| College Visits | Granbury High School | Claudia Hurst Karin Harrington Cindy Holt Doug Barnett Kelly Tuggle Jason Shahan |
GEF Granbury High School Award | $3,000.00 |
| Total | $11,458.00 |
Fall 2017 Grant Awards (for 2017-18 School Year)
| Name of Grant | Campus | Teachers | Abstract | $ Amount |
| Listening with Movement | Acton Elementary | Shannon Sanchez Tina Smith Angie Gilliam Serena Rivera Kelly Luckie Amanda McClaran |
Interactive, challenging, engaging, and fun are words that should describe the learning communities within the modern classroom. Our Kindergarten team would like to continue to inspire this type of learning in the classroom by providing wireless headphones for students to use while engaged in differentiated learning activities with our Smartboard. | $1,290.00 |
| Learning Beyond the Touchscreen - OSMO | Acton Elementary | Ruth Matheny Ginger Bryan Suanne Francis Kristina Jenkins Amanda Rucka Debbie Wilson |
Twenty first century skills are a set of abilities that children need to develop in order to be successful in the age of information. Students need to think deeply about issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, and communicate clearly. Technology is a wonderful and necessary resource in our classrooms used to teach these skills, however it should go hand in hand with learning how to work with others towards a designated goal. Imagine having a technology tool available in the classroom that extends the touchscreen of an iPad to hands on manipulative learning. This is what Osmo can provide. | $1,184.85 |
| "Birds, Beaks and Beyond" - the Discovery Continues | Acton Elementary | Ruth Matheny Ginger Bryan Suanne Francis Kristina Jenkins Amanda Rucka Debbie Wilson |
The second grade teachers would like to bring back the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Discovery Lab on Wheels to our second grade classrooms as the entry event for our spring PBL project. The project involves learning about animal habitats and adaptions. The lab is an innovative hands on experience that correlates with our science and language arts curriculum. The students are actively engaged throughout the presentation and activities involved in the discovery lab. Project based learning continues to develop deeper level competencies needed for success in school and beyond. | $760.00 |
| Thinking Outside the iPad | Acton Elementary | Kali Kinser Katy Grimes Rachael Bufkin Whitney Pacanowski Natalee Sommerfeld Jennifer Romine |
The purpose of this grant is to provide first grade students with rich, tangible, cooperative learning experiences. The Osmo gaming system, when connected with classroom iPads, ultimately will inspire creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication in both Math and Language Arts. Our first grade team would like to provide our students with the opportunity to experience today’s technology with hands-on, manipulative learning. | $1,079.88 |
| Pirates with Purpose | Acton Elementary | Anna Roe Jill Jernigan Karla Willmeth Maggie Walton |
Pirates with Purpose is an intentional, purposeful club for young boys on campus. This program works with students to discuss respect, community service, social etiquette, leadership, integrity and character. Students would participate in weekly meetings with guest speakers, leadership activities, service and skill development in and outside of the classroom. The intent of the program is to empower our young boys. From learning how to shake hands, address elders and opening doors for others to leadership and character skills that improve academic achievement and inspire them to set personal goals, our hope is to build strong young leaders. | $713.15 |
| The Singing Zoologist, Lucas Miller | Acton Elementary | Leah Dawson | With a head full of science, a heart full of music and a car full of truly goofy props, Lucas has earned the adoration of wiggly preschoolers, surly sixth graders and stoic principals alike. He has reached millions with his hilarious-yet scientifically accuratesongs and stories in his 22+ years presenting legendary science assemblies and school author visits. His visit can inspire a love for reading in many students on many levels. | $1,050.00 |
| Lights, Camera, Action! | Acton Elementary | Anna Roe Jill Jernigan Karla Willmeth Maggie Walton |
What students gain from video production goes way beyond what one might think. It certainly goes beyond learning skills that can someday earn them a living. Video production is PBL at its finest! Teamwork, technology, research, leadership and public speaking are just a few of the incredible skills students will gain by being a part of our video production enrichment class. Our students will share the videos they produce to keep stake holders informed about current events and activities happening in GISD. We would play the videos at school and post on social media, while also having the opportunity to learn from our district's very own high school Production Class students, as we partner with them to make our production studio dream become a reality. | $3,464.19 |
| Kids Are Authors, Too | Baccus | Suzanne Back Kristin Coleman Pattie Collier Harley Miles Suzan Watson |
Children love books. What could be more thrilling than to have a hard-bound book that you wrote yourself? Imagine the smiles for years to come as the students and parents look back at the stories written in second grade. This project will help students develop their writng skills, build self-esteem, and give students an opportunity to collaborate in a creative way. | $2,194.50 |
| Spectacular Superheroes of Knowledge | Baccus | Caitlin Lott Meredith Payne Morgan Taylor Lynsey Tolbert |
Stephen’s Superheroes of Knowledge concert gives kids the opportunity to move, dance, participate, listen, & most importantly, have fun! This show provides children the information needed to develop their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. Stephen’s interactive celebration of music & learning is a solid hour of movement with a generous helping of rhythm, repetition, and rhyme to create a festive buffet of entertainment and fun. | $822.00 |
| Step Back in Time: Pioneer Village | Baccus | Suzanne Back Kristin Coleman Pattie Collier Harley Miles Suzan Watson |
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, just imagine what an interactive, hands-on experience is worth. Students can witness the Texas pioneer life, meet a blacksmith, sit in a one-room schoolhouse, and dip a candle at Log Cabin Village. It’s the next best thing to time travel. This trip would give students background knowledge they lack because they have few life experiences to reflect upon. Meeting historical interpreters will inspire students as they prepare to create their own living history museum of Famous Americans. | $609.00 |
|
Going on a Kids Science Safari Lake Granbury Medical Center |
Emma | Sheri Doucet | Kidz Science Safari consists of a minimum of 12 interactive STEAM exhibits that can be set up in your school. After a brief explanation of all the exhibits, students are allowed to freely explore the museum throughout the 45-minute session ,learning by true hands-on immersion. Best of all, Kidz Science Safari has been designed to align with the elementary science standards. In this program, students learn about air and atmosphere through a series of ultra-cool demonstrations showing the weight of the air, the effects of the atmosphere, and the properties and action involved in a vacuum. Additionally, a large section of the program is given over to demonstrations showing the effects of Bernouli's Principle of Fuild Dynamics. In this wonderfully exciting ad extremly educational show, Mobile Ed's scientists have incorporated everything from air cannons to windbags, frisbees, and even a working hovercraft to create some of our most dynamic presentations to ever hit the road! Students learn about atmospheric pressure, low and high pressure zones, and even the application of air pressure to the science of flight. |
$1,295.00 |
| Full Steam Ahead | Emma | Sheri Doucet | STEAM Museum is ready to convert the gymnasium or multipurpose room into a state-of-the-art, hands-on children's museum focused on STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art and math). With activities suitable for all ages, you'll find workstations to not only augment your existing science and math curriculum, but students will also be exposed to high-tech fields of study they never before had access to. In addition, they put the A in STEAM by opening up student's right-brains through activities that encourage divergent thinking. STEAM Museum truly has something for all students! From building an arch to programming a robot to 2D printing, students are given experiences they might not have ever had before. Plenty of experiences brought right to your doorstep! |
$1,295.00 |
| LEGO my ROBO | Brawner | Ann Van Zandt | What a combo - coding and creativity incorporating algorithmic thinking, evaluating, and abstracting for elementary students! Award winning LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 coding and robotics kit encourages students to share in collaborating, critical thinking, communication, and creativity as they work on each project. This kit helps build grit as failure becomes a challenge and a new problem to solve. Students will be able to see coding skills come to life with each step of success. This learning tool would be a dynamic addition to our campus Makerspace, fostering students' imagination while learning coding skills. | $559.52 |
| Here's Comes the Sun; Be a Weather and Climate Watcher | Brawner | Alicia Allen Rene Jackson Jennifer Halbert |
The recent solar eclipse created a burning desire within our 5th grade science students; they are incredibly curious about the sun, weather, and climate! We want to fan these flames by installing a weather station on our campus. Students will then be able to observe/describe the weather and present data through graphs, discussions, and observation summaries. They will explore critical, foundational TEKS through hand-on lessons across diverse terrain, and they will also build homemade weather measurement instruments, which they will be able to take home in order to involve their whole family in our data collection. | $3,497.88 |
| Let's Go On a STEAM Safari | Brawner | Adina Brassie Ann VanZandt Jennifer Sullivan |
Not your typical assembly! Kidz Science Safari consists of 12-15 interactive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) exhibits that will be set up in our school. Our students will freely explore the museum, learning through true hands-on immersion. Best of all, this program is aligned with elementary science standards for experiences that are not just fun- they're educational! Hands-on activities include a 3D printer, programmable robots, gravity wall, and many more engaging, educational activities to augment our science curriculum. What a great way to expose our students to various high-tech fields of students while incorporating science concepts! |
$1,295.00 |
| Lights, Cardboard, Action! | Mambrino | Tina Winchester Melissa Pratt Kelli Godi |
Lights, Cardboard, Action! Cardboard will come to life as students create, design, experiment, construct and invent solutions while applying science, math, and engineering concepts. Natural curiosity and recyclable cardboard constructions will promote student problem solving while mastering integrated grade level content through TESM proficiencies. Students will integrate grade level curriculum with 21st Century Skills while using simple materials and tools in our engineering lab. Completed projects will be used as props in the video lab as students write and act out a variety of productions as well as producing video diaries documenting the creation of the projects. Through this grant, innovative ideas will take on a new shape in Granbury ISD. | $2,781.09 |
| Talk and Toss | Mambrino | Kim Swann Aubrey Allen Deb Miller Deborah Ottoway |
Where there is a learning audience, there should be interactive audience participation! “What? I can’t hear you! Can you repeat that, please?” Teachers find themselves saying this phrase a lot. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a student microphone to solve this problem AND be a fun, engaging tool to encourage student discussion? In third grade, we would love to have a Catchbox to use during classroom discussions, presentations, and ongoing collaborations. | $2,300.00 |
| Zoo at the School | Mambrino | Nicole Moody Jan Krause |
As GISD goes through the process of becoming an innovative district the lessons of our classroom must also change. With the goal of implementing a rigorous and engaging curriculum that integrates new technology, fosters partnerships, and utilizes innovative instructional strategies, this is a field trip that comes to you. This is an up-close and personal view of animals and their interactions within the untamed world. | $350.00 |
| Mr. Roboto | Mambrino | Lauri Morgan Kathy Anderson Bonnie Oates |
As teachers for the gifted and talented program, we would like our students to be well versed in all things technological. If technology is the future, we want our students ready for it. To that end, we would like to introduce robotics to them. Specifically, we would like to teach them basic programming. In order to do this in an interesting manner, we require equipment. We are requesting Ozobots and Spheros for use with the different grade levels. Once our GT students have learned about this, we will extend this technology to all classrooms for use in enrichment activities. By teaching technology, we are getting our students ready for the future with STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math! | $3,419.01 |
| Learning through Play | Mambrino | Sandie Sermarini Gaylene Carpenter Susan Younk Wayne Cooper Diedra Zschiesche Tami Miller |
Timocco is an online, therapeutic gaming environment specifically designed for children with special needs. Using motion based technology, games respond to the child’s movements. Timocco’s patented tracking software allows any webcam to identify and follow player’s movements by following objects held by the player. This grant would be using the most recent state of the art technology and data tracking to allow for monitoring range of motion, reaction time, and speed, all of which are important to activate switches for communication and self help skills within the educational environment. | $599.00 |
| It's a Zoo Out There | Oak Woods | Debbie Atherton | For many students, their world begins and ends in Hood County. With the exception of a kindergarten field trip to the zoo, many never get to interact with a variety of animals from around the world. The Fort Worth Zoo’s Animal Outreach Program provides this opportunity for these children. This program can be customized to bring birds, reptiles and mammals from faraway places inside the walls of our school, bringing to life what they have read in a book or seen on a Smartboard lesson! | $550.00 |
| Air and Weather Classroom Lab | Oak Woods | Nacole Morgan | The Perot Museum has a mobile classroom laboratory that visits school campuses throughout the school year. The air and weather program is suitable for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The activities they bring will enhance our current science curriculum, as well as expose our students to innovative labs they have never experienced before. Through instructor-led demonstrations and activities, both indoors and outside, students will observe the atmosphere from the ground and explore the weather above. This lab is differentiated, allowing a unique experience for each grade level. It is a science experience they are sure to remember. | $2,250.00 |
| Osmo for Kindergarten | Oak Woods | Candie Atkinson Lynna Kirkpatrick |
The grant’s goal is to create a learning opportunity within each kindergarten classroom to incorporate social, creative and emotional learning. This will be achieved by bridging the gap between technology and hands on learning through the use of the Osmo Genius Kit and Osmo Awbie Coding along with the existing classroom iPad. The Osmo will be used as a tool for small groups and individuals as well as a partner learning center. | $2,979.60 |
| Teaching STEAM with Robotics | Oak Woods | Kim Rains Traci Logsdon Deann Travis Jacob Herbold Heather Corb Chelsey Gibson |
Twenty-first century learners need to be given opportunities to be creative and innovative thinkers. Teaching STEAM with the Mindstorms EV3 robotics kits, students will become engaged in project based STEAM learning that is fun and educational. Students will be motivated by hands-on opportunities to create and build using their imaginations. Robotics in the classroom invite students to think critically, imagine possibilities, and solve real-world problems. Coding of the robots will give the students opportunities to communicate in a computer-based language that will give them the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in our technology-driven world. | $3,499.00 |
| Financial Peace: More than Just Balancing a Checkbook | AMS | James Cashion Autumn Lane Karen Martin |
Dove Ramsey is the personal finance guru of our time, helping millions of individuals and families get out of debt, start saving, and make wise long-term financial decisions. In an attempt to be proactive and prevent poor financial decision-making in the next generation, Ramsey has developed curricula for students as young as middle school aged to educate them on how to handle money the right way. This curriculum is engaging and fun, with videos and workbooks that are easy to follow. With this incredible tool, let's help our 8th graders learn how to balance more than a checkbook! | $1,359.21 |
| Give Me a Beat | OIS | Cami Gilbert Mitzi Johnson Lissa Oliver |
Drum circles are an all-inclusive experience for all ages. A drum circle bring students to a more open mental and psychological process, which can be carried over to the production of better ways of working on their academics. Increasing improvisation skills has been proven to increase creativity. Drumming uses the brain in a different pattern than the linear thought process that is utilized in the school learning environment. For example, drum rhythms are vocalized measures before they are played allowing the analytical side of the brain time to process and free up the creative intuitive side. Students can play what they feel, rather than over-thinking it. |
$2,250.00 |
| Dallas Winds Concert Field Trip | AMS | Stephanie Bosch John Morgan |
Great modeling is one of the best ways to teach students. We want to expose our students to professionals who can model proper instrument and ensemble playing techniques at the highest possible level, so our students can imitate and learn from the skills they see modeled by these professionals. If students are exposed to greatness, it helps them realize greatness within themselves, and the Dallas Winds are undoubtedly one of the greatest wind bands in the world. For us to have a premier group such as the Dallas Winds in our backyard, and not expose our students to them would be a huge disservice! | 3642.45 |
| Scientists in the Classroom | AMS | Scott Carpenter Jeremy Scott |
Many of our 504, LEP, and SPED students have never visited a museum or been exposed to science outside the classroom. The purpose of the grant is to give students science experiences outside of the classroom in hopes of peaking their interests before the STAAR Test. We hope to do this by not only viewing the museum but by participating in science-based lessons that review TEKs while we are there. The Perot Museum will provide an outstanding balance between review and discovery while engaging student interest in science. | $820.00 |
| Choosing Kindness Tour | AMS | Shelia McKamy Laurie Williams Jennifer Pullano |
Our 6th grade classes are currently reading Wonder. This story is about a boy who was born with severe facial deformities. He has had multiple surgeries to reconstruct his face. He has been homeschooled due to the surgeries. As a 5th grader entering middle school, he faces difficulties being accepted by his peers and not being judged for his appearance. Auggie's story is such a great lesson for middle school students in learning acceptance and compassion for others that may be different from them in someway. | $1,671.00 |
| SMART Writing and Revising | GMS | Heather Dollins Jaron Ward |
We, the Granbury Middle School 7th Grade ELA department, would like to integrate iPads, with collaborative and Smart Board integrated applications, to aid the teaching and guiding of our 270 students in editing and revising, a tested area. In compliance with district initiatives for 21st century competencies, we believe that using new technology and collaboration will increase editing, revising, and writing scores by 5% -- from 58% to 63% passing. The Otterbox cases will help ensure the longevity and sustainability of the plan. To achieve this goal, we are requesting $2,220.36. | $2,220.36 |
| Back to the Music: Technology for the 21st Century Ensemble | GMS | Michele Kahne Dawn Crnkovic Jeremy Bowen Caitlan Leblo |
Focus, determination, and hard work emanate from every member of the ensemble. The director stops the ensemble and asks the simple quetions, "could you hear that?" The students try to remember that fleeting moment but it's long since passed. Imagine if the director was able to instead say, "Listen to this moment," and then hit a playback button at the exact moment they wanted to address. Through the use of an updated technology system, the ensemble is able to gain immediate feedback that is effective and aligned with the TEKS. | $4,000.00 |
| Graphing in Color | GMS | Deborah Pina Erin Pike Billie Robertson |
We would like to purchase fifteen Tl-84 Plus CE calculators for students receiving special education services. These students often have difficulty reading and interpreting graphs on the current Tl-84 Plus calculators. The Tl-84 Plus CE calculators have a color display and higher resolution than the current Tl-84 calculators, which makes them easier to read/interpret. The color coding helps students distinguish between multiple graphs/plots, grid lines are added to make graphs easier to read, and graphs and tables are presented side-by-side. All of these enhancements to the display will help these students better visualize and understand algebraic concepts. | $1,762.05 |
|
Nature's Classroom - Outdoor Learning Environment H-E-B |
GMS | Jenny Zachery Hughes Jeff Ghiglieri Brandon Wood |
Studies show that the majority of today’s students spend most of their time indoors, interacting with screens and electronic devices. Being outdoors increases brain activity and learning as well as an opportunity to teach students about stewardship of the environment and the cycles of the natural world around them. A new look at TEKS and PBL through the lens of the outdoors can inspire students to higher levels of learning. Current GISD property located behind GMS and the HS Ag Barn offers a beautiful example of the Texas “Lakes and Prairies” ecosystem and wildlife including an existing pond. A West campus Outdoor Learning Environment would offer a location more easily accessible by several GISD schools as compared to the OLC at AMS. The first stage would be to increase the access to the area via a pathway. | $3,814.00 |
| Observe and Conclude! / Outdoor Learning Environment Observation Stations | GMS | Jarrod Totman Elizabeth Parks |
Current GISD property located near the airport and the HS Ag Barn offers a beautiful example of a Texas ecosystem with wildlife including an existing established fish pond. An Outdoor Learning Environment here would offer a location more easily accessible by several GISD schools as compared to the OLC at AMS. Learning in the outdoors increases brain activity and engagement as well as teaching students about stewardship of the environment and the cycles of nature. At the project site there are two existing tables and concrete pads in the area. This is insufficient to allow classes of students to have access to a stable and safe area from which to observe the environment or conduct experiments with any equipment. This grant is to build two more observation station areas from which students may attach special equipment, conduct experiments, make observations and record their conclusions. | $3,188.00 |
|
It's a Bird...It's a plane...It's a Drone!!! PlainsCapital Bank |
GHS | Mark Kirk Kit Langdon Joe Overstreet |
Science students can enhance their education in several ways if given the opportunity to research, use and apply drone technology. With the aid of this grant, students will research a variety of careers relating to the design and use of drones. They will also test drones with a variety of propellers to gain a better understanding of the aerodynamics of airfoils, pitch, and number of blades. While flying the drones, the students will become oriented to FPV (first person video), also known as video piloting. The result should produce students with a greater understanding of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone racing. | $3,996.00 |
| American Sign Language Visual Collaboration Lab | GHS | Liz Robblee Banita Elkins |
In American Sign Language, a fully visual language, how we reach and teach students should match the target language taught. In a visual language, self-analysis, real-time and delayed feedback is essential as we work toward the goal of understanding and literacy/fluency in both expressive and receptive target language skills. The opportunity to have recording stations where students can record themselves provides students not only practice but an active visual cuing system. Students will evaluate their literacy/fluency levels in real time, recognizing areas for improvement. Long-term recording provides visual cues to literacy/fluency as well as peer to peer collaboration. | $3,407.82 |
| It's a "Pressing Matter" | GHS | Danny Guidry Brianne Langdon Dawn Bradley |
This grant will provide a much needed service within our school. Currently, we have a multitude of clubs, athletics, and organizations within the school that must get apparel printed from outside sources. That is often time-consuming and very expensive. With collaborative efforts within our CTE family, we will be able to provide custom apparel that will be of high quality and much more affordable than purchasing from an outside vendor. | $2,400.00 |
| Think Outside the Box | All Elementary Schools | Kim Young Kathy Anderson Leah Dawson Lissa Oliver Kellie Pollock Ann VanZandy |
Students experience problem solving with an opportunity to test their knowledge while collaborating with other students to take authority and ownership of their own learning in an interactive, content-rich, critical thinking, and fall-forward environment. | $1,500.00 |
|
Hagerman's Math-A-Magic H-E-B |
All Elementary Schools | Debbie Ransleben Cindy Davis Shannon Sanchez Kathy Williams Tina Winchester |
Math can spark curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication in young learners. These critical skills will serve the children beyond their days in the classroom. This show proves to encourage a growth mindset that math can be fun. It invokes a sense of wonder in children when they see miraculous things done with concepts with which they are familiar. We are striving for more questioning, more strategic planning, and more problem solving that will increase their interest and love for math. For approximately $1 per student this grant will provide a unique experience for all GISD elementary students. |
$3,500.00 |
| Total: | $79,368.56 |
|
Name of Award |
Campus |
Teachers |
Award |
$ Amount |
|
CTE Certification Assistance Granbury Optimist Club |
Granbury High School |
Judy Gentry |
GEF CTE Endowment for Certification Assistance |
$7,500.00 |
|
College Visits |
Granbury High School |
Counselors |
|
$2,000.00 |
|
College Visits |
STARS Accelerated High School |
Ginna Marks Misty Walters |
|
$958.00 |
|
|
Total: |
|
|
$10,458.00 |
Fall 2016 Grant Awards (for 2016-17 School Year)
|
Name of Grant |
Campus |
Teachers |
Abstract |
$ Amount |
|
Record Me Roaming! INGE FOUNDATION |
District |
Jodie McClintock |
The C3 Series Swivl Robot system is comprised of a rotating base and multiple wireless microphones that turn an iPad into a viable recording device capturing multiple presenters’ voices from up to 30 feet away and tracking the movement of the lead presenter. Typically, when students use an iPad to record demonstrations or presentations, one obstacle they face is poor sound quality which relies on the built-in microphone of the iPad. The Swivl Robot enhances devices already available in our district and gives students greater choice when selecting a method of showcasing their learning as prescribed in effective project-based learning. |
$8,420.00 |
|
Manufacturing Student Success GRANBURY OPTIMIST CLUB |
Granbury High School |
Todd Gibson |
The engineering department is requesting a portable CNC router that will allow engineering students to use subtractive manufacturing processes for various classroom activities, prototyping, and competitions. Instead of being limited to virtual designs, subtractive manufacturing or milling allows engineers and businesses to create tangible items that originated on design software. This process will open up a whole new realm of possibilities as well as allow engineering students a way to fabricate and test prototypes. This machine will motivate students in their quest to solve real-world problems in their engineering projects and open doors to industry related technology and software. |
$3,794.61 |
|
Impairments of Drug and Alcohol Use: What's the Big Deal |
Granbury High School |
Cari Davis |
Lecturing students about the dangers of underage drinking and illegal drug use can be an influential method for deterring teens from these risky behaviors, but how effective is it? Students learn better when they have hands-on experience. Impairment goggles and an activity mat provide students a simulated experience of the real life effects drug and alcohol use cause, giving them a better understanding of what it is like to be under the influence. Additionally students can have this experience without the risk of drug and alcohol use. These training tools create an experience that the students can see, feel and understand, thus creating a greater impact on their decisions when it comes to drug and alcohol use. The tools also provide an observation experience for the law enforcement student and an opportunity to apply skills they have learned in the classroom. |
$1,479.00 |
|
What's in "Store" for our Future |
Granbury High School |
Danny Guidry |
This grant will serve to start our GHS School Based Enterprise. Currently, we do not have the funds to purchase merchandise to sell to our students, staff, and community. The proceeds generated from this store will be used to fund DECA, a club that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the area of Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, and Management. In the first year, our goal will be to fund the store, complete DECA gold level School Based Enterprise Certification, and prepare our club members for local, state, and national DECA competition. |
$750.00 |
|
The Next Best Thing to Being There; Augmented Reality Sandbox |
Granbury High School |
Dene Carter |
The best delivery method for learning is certainly hands-on. However, what are teachers to do when the topic requires touching geological formations that simply are not accessible in Granbury, Texas. Our solution is the Augmented Reality Sandbox. This device allows users to create topographic models by shaping real sand, which is then augmented in real time by an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water. The system teaches geographic, geologic, and hydrologic concepts such as topographic mapping, seafloor and coastal features, and watershed characteristics that affect hydrologic cycle, etc. |
$2,462.39 |
|
The Sky's the Limit |
Granbury Middle School |
Ryan Ellis |
Our students have a tough time with real world application of concepts they are learning. This will provide our students with an opportunity to see professionals, and those working on post-bachelor's degrees in engineering at Texas A & M, present what they are currently working on. This will help our students make connections with the learning they are doing in the classroom. |
$1,428.00 |
|
Bringing the World Alive in the Classroom via Virtual Reality PLAINSCAPITAL BANK |
Acton Middle School |
Mindy Badgett |
A picture is worth a thousand words and an experience is worth a thousand pictures. Imagine exploring a rainforest or walking on the surface of Mars in your classroom. Visit the Great Wall of China and take in the landscape that surrounds it, or stand on the Eiffel Tower and gaze upon Paris without leaving Granbury, Texas. Explore the circulatory system as if you were a cell in the blood stream. All of this is possible with Virtual Reality VR Headsets. VR headsets will increase student engagement while creating experiences to enhance background knowledge to make connections with every subject area TEKS. |
$3,840.80 |
|
Sharpening Math Skills With Scholastic |
Acton Middle School |
Mary Cutlip |
Research supports the value of reading, writing, and speaking in learning connections that need to be made for mastery of skills. As well as, using real-world applications reinforces relevance, which increases student engagement, deeper level processing and learning, and development of critical thinking. Scholastic Math magazine with its online features provides a variety of articles and activities that target these skills. Additional tools such as videos, games, and leveled practice problems help reinforce concepts for all learners including English Language Learners and students with learning difficulties. The design of the program allows for numerous enrichment opportunities for all learners. |
$2,268.75 |
|
The need for and the importance of the ART critique process when teaching students to communicate at the highest level of Costa's Level of Thinking |
Acton Middle School |
Julie Deger |
One of the MOST important components for my success with the students is to show their work to them and allow them to develop the verbal skills and the intellectual skills needed to participate in a formal critique. It is of the utmost importance for the art teacher to be able to quickly display ongoing work in order to have class discussions. The students can see the work of everyone. The children can grow in their skill to give constructive criticism to one another and they can verbalize their own opinions as well. |
$1,058.95 |
|
Own Your Sound! |
Acton Middle School |
Stephanie Bosch |
Installing recording equipment and high quality speakers in the band hall would greatly improve student achievement in band class as well as concerts and contests throughout the year. We encourage students to learn from their mistakes, but sometimes mistakes can be hard to identify, especially after the fact. Much like a football team watches tape of the games, the band needs to be able to critically listen to their selections in order to identify areas of weakness and improve upon them. This also addresses several TEKS in the music curriculum and would give students greater ownership in the learning process. |
$2,234.86 |
|
Reaching for the STAAR 5th Science Review |
Acton Middle School |
Scott Carpenter |
Science STAAR scores at the elementary level are beginning to improve. We believe that a STAAR Science Review for 5th graders can help to refresh the learning and provide connections that are not made in the classroom. The OLC Leadership Team would like to provide a field trip opportunity for all 5th grade classes to attend an outdoor review session that includes: Food Webs and Food Chains, Adoptations, Metamorphosis, Water Pollution Model and Populations, and a fun station including either team building activity or archery. Cost to include transportation, materials, and lunches. |
$1,317.00 |
|
The Zoo Comes To You |
Emma Roberson Elementary |
Pamela Adams |
The Fort Worth Zoo’s Animal Outreach team will provide an educational and interactive program for our Title I first grade students. The program offers an up close, real life experience, featuring six or seven animals within the classes of birds, mammals and reptiles. The students will make discoveries about animals, from those living in their backyard to animals from around the world. This experience will provide a unique opportunity to enhance student learning about characteristics and behaviors that help animals adapt and survive in their environments. The students will then research other birds, mammals and reptiles and create a culminating presentation. |
$400.00 |
|
Science Experiments on the Move! |
Emma Roberson Elementary |
Pamela Adams |
The Fort Worth Science Museum will bring an educator to lead students in hands-on science activities. Programs run 50 minutes and can take place in a classroom or in the school’s science lab. The Museum comes to the classroom with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s Discovery Lab on Wheels. The magnets During your program your students will engage in a variety of activity stations as they learn about the properties of magnets. Students will develop a better understand of what a magnet is, what is magnetic, and attraction/repulsion. |
$750.00 |
|
Reading is Fun |
Emma Roberson Elementary |
Veronica Barragan |
With this grant we will raise the reading levels in our English Language Learners. At Emma Roberson we are committed to providing each of our students the necessary tools for their success, with a comprehensive education program and a motivating learning environment. With the use of this reading program in our small group sessions our students will gain the confidence they lack to become strong readers and lifelong learners. |
$700.00 |
|
The World is Your Classroom – Explore It! |
Emma Roberson Elementary |
Sheri Doucet |
With Google Expedition virtual reality kit, teachers can take students on over 200 virtual reality field trips without leaving the classroom. Students can experience learning about the ocean and feel as if they are among the sea life. Learn about history by going to museums all over the world and become an astronaut by traveling to outer space. Expose students to new and exciting places giving them real world experiences without leaving the classroom. The expeditions are virtual reality 360 degrees panoramic 3D images with details, points of interest, and questions that make them easy to integrate into curriculum. |
$3,999.00 |
|
From Fidgety and Frustrated to Calm and Concentrating |
Brawner Intermediate |
Mary Stennett |
The purpose of this grant is to provide students with tools to assist them with self-regulation in the classroom. These tools consist of a "cool down kit" and a "fidget box". The "cool down kit" will help students who are struggling with emotional upset an opportunity to calm down in the classroom instead of being removed to the office. The "fidget box" gives students with excess energy a way to use that energy without disrupting their own learning or that of other students. The end result will be increased time learning for all students leading to increased academic success. |
$1,105.50 |
|
Don’t know much about the –ologies: Trip to the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History |
Baccus Elementary |
Kristen Coleman |
Bugs and Dinos and Lightning—Oh My! Where can we get hands on experience with entomology, paleontology, and meteorology? We need a field trip to the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History. Many students at my school never get a chance to leave Granbury. At the museum, we would get a chance to be exposed to the rainforest, dig for fossils, and meet a weatherman. We could also learn through play at the children’s museum. Students learn best during hands-on activities. This would be an opportunity for authentic learning. |
$1,129.00 |
|
4C-ing the Future with STEAM Team & MakerSpace |
Baccus Elementary |
Ashley Page |
In today's rapidly advancing technological world, the necessary skills for a successful future in the workplace has changed. It is critical that we develop the 21st century skills of the 4C's: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. The items in our proposal seek to do just that! Focused on the 4C's through the STEAM initiative, students will have opportunities to work in teams to develop these skills with hands-on experiences in building, engineering, and designing. Students will also stimulate creativity through open ended, imaginative play and develop a growth mindset that perseveres through dedication and hard work. |
$2,252.84 |
|
Becoming Future Scientists, Engineers, and Mathematicians Through Purposeful Play |
Baccus Elementary |
Tammy Kelley |
We would like to increase our students' STEM ( science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) experiences. We would use STEM Career posters and literature to develop vocabulary. The students would then use problem-solving skills to create bridges, chairs, vehicles, houses, and roller coasters. |
$765.00 |
|
Virtually Amazing |
Baccus Elementary |
George Robinson |
Many of our students never leave Hood County. With the help of virtual reality, students can see and experience all of the different ecosystems on our planet. Using virtual reality headsets and an iPod touch, they can see a desert and all of the inhabitants. They can experience life in New York or swim with sharks. They can broaden their knowledge base and then write about their experience. The iPod touch is versatile with lots of great free programming, so it will always be in use. |
$3,474.00 |
|
Little Hands Need Real Objects |
Baccus Elementary |
Lori Williams |
Have you ever tried to teach geometrical shapes on a flat piece of paper? Have you ever tried to count the vertices of a rectangular prism on a piece of paper? Have you ever tried to count paper coins? Have you ever measured using a paper ruler that is not correct? Kids in 2nd grade really need learning stations where they can hold, count and measure using real objects. We are trying to buy learning stations that will address measurement, time, place value, geometric measurements and fractions. |
$1,596.00 |
|
Playaway Reading Clubs |
Acton Elementary |
Stephanie Gravley |
Reading comprehension is essential for a successful student. Playaway Reading Club is a project that will provide individuals and/or groups with the opportunity to have text to read aloud. Students thrive on technology and Playaways offer a fun way to read a novel or text utilizing compressed audio files. The multi-sensory experience provides students a way to internalize each of their reading assignments, increasing their short-term retention, but also instilling a life-long love of reading. |
$2,335.21 |
|
Rhythm in Motion |
Acton Elementary |
Brandy Lillagore |
Stability ball drumming joins the dynamic movements of aerobic dance with the pulsating rhythms of the drum. It is a unique sensory/motor program that is designed to give the mind and body instant feedback through continuous movement and rythmical flow. This program utilizes "whole brain - whole body" thinking by developing sensory motor reflexes and kinesthetic awareness. The physiological and psychological benefits are numerous. Drumming also improves and increases the neurological connection between the 2 brain hemispheres, stimulating Alpha brain wave activity which can lead to higher levels of concentration, sensory/motor improvement, and an overall sense of well-being. |
$1,957.20 |
|
Osmos in Kindergarten |
Acton Elementary |
Shannon Sanchez |
The goal of this grant is to create a learning center within each kindergarten classroom to incorporate social, creative and emotional learning by bridging the gap between technology and hands on learning through the use of the Osmo, along with the existing classroom iPads. |
$1,104.00 |
|
Mr. Hagerman’s Extreme Reading H-E-B TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS |
Acton Elementary |
Leah Dawson |
The Magic of this Reading show encourages students to get more involved with reading activities. The show creates a fun atmosphere where students learn about different types of books; fiction, non fiction, reference, biographies and such. Students learn that the more literary fiction they read, the better they become at reading people and understanding emotions. They also learn that reading doesn't necessarily involve words; it's about translating images into meaning like in musical notes and hieroglyphs. Combine all this information with comedy and magic and you have a show that inspires children to read more. |
$1,550.00 |
|
“Bird Beaks and Beyond” – a discovery lab on wheels |
Acton Elementary |
Ginger Bryan |
Project based learning is an effective and enjoyable way to learn and develop deeper level competencies needed for success in college and future careers. As part of a spring PBL project involving animal habitats and adaptations and to help enhance the student’s learning experience, the second grade teachers would like to bring the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Discovery Lab on Wheels to our second grade classrooms. A museum educator would visit each second grade classroom and conduct hands-on activities that correlate with our science and language arts curriculum. |
$760.00 |
|
STEM – It’s Never Too Early to Engage Young Minds |
Acton Elementary |
Ginger Bryan |
A call to action in 21st century education is to develop future innovators and promote critical thinking, problem solving, deductive reasoning, and curiosity. Our goal as a community of educators is to have graduates prepared for today’s workforce and ever changing and advancing technology. Experts in the field of education agree that it is imperative that these students have a thorough understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Our instructional team would like to provide our students with STEM kits that help integrate knowledge across the curriculum and encourage them to think in a more connected and holistic way. |
$1,463.33 |
|
Star Gazing |
Oak Woods School |
Kristen Thigpen |
The Fort Worth Mobile Planetarium provides an inflatable classroom of space study for our school. The planetarium allows students to experience our galaxy, constellations, and stars. It is innovative and supports improved math and science education for students. The entire school will benefit from a grade appropriate look at the current sky with a planetarium staff member allowing time for questions and further study. For two days, the Ft. Worth museum will set up and lead 40-50 min programs for each grade level to attend. |
$1,310.00 |
|
Now and Then in Granbury Where History Lives |
Oak Woods School |
Donica Martin |
Now and Then in Granbury explores the past and present events and individuals that are vital to our community with hands on learning expeience. Students will be able to connect their learning to real world experiences. Learning Granbury's history is part of our Scope and Sequence and what better way to learn about history than to have students experience what historians accomplished in the past and actually view historical buildings that have endured all these years. Students will gain their own perspective on how others lived years ago versus how we live today. |
$387.72 |
|
Leadership- Impact the Outcome |
Mambrino |
Nancy Comeau |
Communication, teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution are 21st Century skills we want to develop with fifth grade students! Through challenging activities presented in conjunction with the Hood County Agents and Hood County 4H leaders, our students will attend training sessions throughout the school year that are geared toward leadership skills. The students will then be presented with opportunities to use their newly learned skills through work with the younger students on our campus. |
$759.98 |
|
Touching is my Talking |
Mambrino |
Gaylene Carpenter |
The world is becoming more technological every day. It revolves around the internet, cellphones, and electronic devices that prompt us, keep up with our daily activities, and give us information in an instant. School systems are offering more technology choices for students and teachers to become educated users of new devices and services. Access to these devices is limited to some due to physical and developmental delays. We want our students to have these opportunities using a touch screen for more appropriate access. This simple accommodation could make a world of difference for a child with special needs. |
$1,100.00 |
|
Reading, Riding, ‘Rithmetic LAKE GRANBURY MEDICAL CENTER |
Mambrino |
Stacie Brown |
Time to take a ride on the wild side!! By the creation of two campus “Riding Labs”, students will increase retention of content knowledge through movement. Students will use the stationary bicycles in the lab while building reading and numerical fluency. By raising student motivation, focus and concentration will be amplified, therefore strengthening mastery in campus intervention tutoring. |
$3,339.13 |
|
“Can you hear me now? Good!” |
Mambrino |
Theatre Committee |
Have you ever gone to a musical or concert and heard someone say, “Well I am sure they were really great, but I couldn't hear the performers.”? Or, “They did such a great a great job, but the feedback from the microphones was terrible!” Our students work tirelessly for months on end rehearsing so they can perform at their best for parents, teachers, and community members. They deserve to be heard! For that to happen, we need microphones. |
$3,105.36 |
|
Stars, Planets and Galaxies…..oh my! |
Mambrino |
Kim Swann |
Beam me up Scotty, we have planets to explore! Wouldn't it be great if space exploration were that easy? I would like to offer 3rd grade students the next best thing. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History offers an exciting program where they bring the mobile Noble Planetarium to classrooms in Texas. The mobile planetarium will allow students to learn about space in a grade appropriate and interactive hands on setting. Not only will they learn about space, they will investigate seasons and learn about lunar rotation and phases…..so, Mr. Chekov take 3rd grade to warp speed! |
$562.50 |
|
Can You Hear Me Now? |
Mambrino |
Melissa Pratt |
Technology is used to spark curiosity, engage participation and provide instant feedback. The Smartboard allows students to learn in a way that feels much like a game while practicing previously taught material. The document camera allows the teacher to work through a lesson and record the learning. The recording could then be replayed for struggling students to see and hear an objective more than once. The wireless headphones will tie the two together to maximize a productive learning environment using multiple senses. The wireless headphones would allow them to listen to the information presented while tuning out distractions. |
$2,623.60 |
|
Ready Bodies, Learning Minds PLAINSCAPITAL BANK |
Mambrino |
Sandie Sermarini |
Have you ever walked into a classroom and have noticed the children have a hard time sitting up straight, holding their heads up, visually copying from the board, holding a pencil correctly and completing simple two step directions from the teacher? Our student's sensory systems are underdeveloped from our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, which impacts their readiness to learn in the classroom. This grant is requesting funds to purchase the materials to follow a specific sensorimotor lab routine which targets all of these 'prerequisite' skills to assist our student's bodies to be in a position to attend and acquire new skills. |
$3,499.00 |
|
|
Total: |
|
|
$71,082.73 |
|
Name of Award |
Campus |
Teachers |
Award |
$ Amount |
|
CTE Certification Assistance |
Granbury High School |
Judy Gentry |
GEF CTE Endowment for Certification Assistance |
$5,000.00 |
|
College Visits |
Granbury High School |
Counselors |
|
$1,502.00 |
|
College Visits |
STARS Accelerated High School |
Ginna Marks Misty Walters |
|
$958.00 |
|
|
Total: |
|
|
$7,460.00 |
Fall 2015 Grant Awards (for 2015-16 School Year)
| Name of Grant | Campus | Teachers | Abstract | $ Amount |
| Learning From the Inside Out | Granbury High School | Trey Keys Chelsea Campbell Tyler McCoy |
The agriculture department would like to use this grant to purchase surgical and dissection tools as well as some other veterinary medicine items and feed testing kits to help support the learning in our floral design, livestock, equine, animal science, small animal and veterinary medicine classes. We feel like these tools and equipment can be utilized in most classes to support our learning in the classroom, prepare our certification students to be tested and to promote more industry training. | $3,992.25 |
| I See With My Heart: Dogs of Character Program | Acton Elemetary School | Jill Jerigan Anna Roe Karla Willmeth Maggie Walton |
Today's children are immersed in technology and a fast-paced lifestyle which can result in social deficits such as empathy for others and low self-worth. The Dogs of Character program brings very special rescued dogs to school during an assembly to teach children life lessons in perserverance, self-worth, loyalty and empathy. The program is continued through lessons the teachers can incorporate in their classrooms by accessing a portal which provides grade-appropriate activities in each core subject and are alligned with the TEKS. This program will touch the hearts of every individual in our school and provide living visual aids to create a life-altering and long-lasting change in the way our students interact with one another. | $1,250.00 |
| Masterpieces on the Move | Acton Elemetary School | Brandy Lillagore | Nothing comes close to viewing the original work of the old masters. Knowing the historical and artistic context it was created in and then seeing the ‘real thing’ right in front of you is like no other experience. For many of our students, however, this opportunity never becomes a reality. How can we provide experiences like this for our students? Teacher’s Discovery Traveling Exhibits are the answer. Printed on massive and durable satin banners, these portable exhibits bring the realistic detail, depth and texture of works by well- known artists to a school’s hallways. | $1,396.00 |
| Painting with a Brighter Future | Granbury High School | Todd Gibson Greg Belleau Brad Eppler |
The engineering department is requesting a portable paint booth that will allow engineering students to complete the manufacturing process on various designs and prototypes of projects in a variety of classes from 9th-12th grades. With this piece of equipment, students will be able to complete the manufacturing process by using industrial equipment used in manufacturing plants. Students will learn finishing processes that are necessary in the manufacturing industry that applies directly to our curriculum. This will prepare them for future career projects and help them understand the full scope of the engineering that goes into the manufacturing of many products we use daily. In addition to the knowledge students will gain, this piece of equipment will also allow our department to be self-sufficient in the projects that are made and allow us to avoid costly outsourcing. | $3,927.16 |
| War: The American Experience - Oral History Project |
Granbury High School | David Winkleman Rebecca Strain |
Our veterans are quickly leaving us. The youngest WWII veterans are in their late eighties. There are manIy veterans whose stories have yet to be told, who are just now beginning to speak of the horrors of war. With this PBL project, students will interview veterans, learn their stories, and work to make their interviews a historical, primary source resource in the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s History Project or the NPR’s Story Board. However, in order to obtain these interviews, we need digital voice recorders. This grant will fund the recorders to make this PBL project possible | $711.92 |
| Technological Innovations to Support Applications of Transportation Principles |
Granbury High School | David Carlson | The use of technology to supplement instruction of fundamental concepts, and provide a resource through which students can observe, research, and diagnose sources and solutions to automotive malfunctions will provide learners with valuable hands-on training, and classroom experiences that will enrich their knowledge, expertise, and resume for those who plan to pursue a career in the automotive or transportation industry. The tools requested will help maximize the amount of diverse hands-on experience each student is able to have with various engine models, and assist students learn to diagnose malfunctions with better accuracy, due to the evidence these devices offer. | $728.19 |
| Musical Theatre Tour H-E-B |
Granbury High School Crossland Ninth Grade Center |
Mark Weeks Krista Alcorn-Holman |
Our objective is to use GISD students to produce a high energy musical- including live acting, singing, dancing, lighting, sound- and take it to each of the elementary schools in Granbury ISD. This will promote the arts to these students, also allowing them to see future opportunities in extracurricular activities. The student performers will interact at each performance with the younger audiences, promoting their own mentoring and leadership abilities. A portable sound system will be purchased for this event and will be used for future touring opportunities and other unique theatrical endeavors. | $3,978.00 |
| Snappy Connections | Brawner Intermediate | Pam Frye Melissa McKelvain Ann Van Zandt |
Brawner 4-5 grade teachers desire to make their electrical unit study innovative and interesting by using Snap Circuits technology. We want our students to use their creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication skills as they work on designing and constructing original electrical devices. Electricity and electronics are the way of the 21st Century and we want our students to have the strongest foundation possible. The Snap Circuit technology with its kid appeal will help us achieve that goal. | $3,283.14 |
| The Science of Animal Puppetry | Acton Elemetary School | Katie Agor Rachael Bufkin Sandra Elrod Katy Grimes Kirstie Leslie Jennifer Romine Natalee Sommerfeld |
First grade students will use animal puppets and creativity by authoring nonfiction dramatic plays that describe the life cycles, external characteristics, movements, eating habits, and habitats of various endangered animals. The students will incorporate Science TEKS through Project Based Learning with a driving question that asks, “How can we as students help the animals that are endangered?” The animal puppets and plays will help engage students in their learning while inspiring them to discover ways that they can help save animals that are in danger of forever losing their life cycle. | $1,816.83 |
| Bite-Sized Literature | Acton Middle School | Danielle Rodrique Brittany Lovins Rene Jackson |
Half of Americans surveyed by USA Today cited lack of time as a primary impediment to their failure to read for leisure. This is a concerning conflict because research shows that reading daily slows the progress of (or possibly even prevents) Alzeimer's and Dementia, reduces stress, expands vocabulary, improves focus and concentration, and enhances quality of life. Thus, it is imperative that schools foster a daily reading environment in spite of short, content-packed class periods. Bite-sized literature meets this need by providing high-interest, quality reading materials in smaller chunks so that lack of time need not be an obstacle. | $2,390.40 |
| Mr. Hagerman's Extreme Science Granbury Optimist Club |
Mambrino, Brawner, Acton Elem., Oak Woods, Baccus, Emma Roberson |
Brenda Pugh Debbie Ransleben Shannon Sanchez Jennifer Sullivan Kathy Williams Tina Winchester |
Science can spark curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication in young learners. These critical skills will serve the children way beyond their days in the classroom. If a student is interested in science it can open an avenue to engage them in reading, writing and mathematics. Mr. Hagerman uses various instruments to investigate the science behind many happenings we take for granted in our everyday lives. We are striving for more questioning, more strategic planning, more problem solving, and yes, more science fair entries | $3,500.00 |
| Cooking It Up in Math | Oak Woods School | Melissa Shipp Rebecca Strain |
Kids struggle learning fractions and measurement in math. Research shows that one of the best ways to help with students understanding content is to apply the learning to real life. In this PBL Project, 3rd grade students will learn about measurement, fractions and health through an interdisciplinary unit around cooking. They will measure ingredients and create healthy snacks for school and home. | $625.94 |
| STEAM Into the Library | Granbury Middle School | Christy Jonas | STEAM into the library will aid students by providing hands-on opportunities to address twenty-first century skills that many of our students are not provided elsewhere in school or in the home. Hands on manipulatives such as building blocks, timber sets, Legos, building tiles, K'NEX machines sets, Locktagon sets, and structure sets will give students opportunities to collaborate and troubleshoot the building of structures. Snap circuits provide opportunities to apply scientific thought and problem solving skills to real-world applications. The Elenco robotics set will provide opportunities for simple robotics programing. | $2,793.92 |
| Pirates Create | Granbury High School | Tammy Jo Burns Carolann Caruthers Connie Jesko Allison Allen |
Makerspaces are an innovative way in which the Learning Commons may further create a culture that emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and creativity through crafts, circuitry, and programming for students. It is imperative that all levels of our student population, from life-skills ans ESL to AP, can manipulate all areas of STEAM Education in order to improve cognitive development and use higher-order thinking skills. By creating the GHS Pirate's Eureka Zone we will be able to make creative designing available to every student at GHS, inviting collaboration on a larger scale. | $2,112.08 |
| The Civil War...Making It Real | Acton Middle School | David Brister Chris Elrod Rebecca Strain |
Students have a difficult time connecting to history. They don't see the relevancy. With this PBL project, we will make the Civil War real. We plan to have students assume various Civil War personas, on either side of the battle, and understand the Civil War through their lenses. We want to stress the local connection of the Civil War to the founders of our county and town, Generals John Bell Hood and Hiram Granbury. Lastly, we plan to take students to the Texas Civil War Museum. All these activities will make the Civil War real. | $1,990.00 |
| The "Physics Circus" Mobile Presentation By Perot Museum |
Baccus Elementary School | Patti Collier | A mobile presentation by Perot Museum of Dallas, “theater-style presentation explores the role of physics and math in three thrilling circus acts. The ringleader of the circus will guide students through ways that force, motion and energy are involved in each physics feat. Students help the ringleader determine if a newcomer named Math has a place among the acts. | $470.00 |
| Students Will Say, "I Get It" | Oak Woods School | Marcia Hamilton | Students often struggle with both comprehension and a dislike of informational texts. With the Research and Respond Comprehension Center, students will be able to build nonfiction comprehension as they preview, read, and respond to high-interest texts. This would be utilized by all fifth graders; including general education as well as special education students. | $197.69 |
| Osmos for the Classroom | Emma Roberson Elementary School | Kellie Morris | The goal of this grant is to create a learning center within each classroom to incorporate social, creative and emotional learning by bridging the gap between technology and hands on learning through the use of the Osmo along with the existing classroom iPad. | $2,999.70 |
| Technology in the Pre-K Classroom | Emma Roberson Elementary School | Teri Call Leah McWilliams Cherish Hyatt |
Pre-K would like to purchase quality academic apps and software for our new classroom iPads. | $438.87 |
| The Foundations of Dynamics: Fundamental Forces and Laws of Motion |
Granbury High School | Kit Langdon Janel Morris Heather Wallis Erica Woodyard |
Motion captures our attention, and the study of dynamics considers the forces affecting the motion of all moving systems. Isaac Newton’s laws of motion demonstrate the breadth and simplicity of the underpinning principles that dictate the manner in which nature functions, both on Earth, and in space. As Galileo established in the 16th century, it is observation, rather than “logic” that is the ultimate determinant of the truth. The supplies requested will provide students with the opportunity to observe fundamental truths about how our universe functions, better enabling them to be successful academically, and solve even the most advanced problems. | $2,351.72 |
| Let's Get Physical Lake Granbury Medical Center |
Mambrino, Brawner, Acton Elem., Oak Woods, Baccus, Emma Roberson |
Janie Chiles Jody Gilbert Jonneice Courtney Keri Fleming Victor Sanchez Lauri Morgan Mitzi Johnson |
The Physical Education teachers at the elementary campuses in GISD would like to purchase new equipment to help us better assess our students for cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. This assessment would have several uses: to help the teachers determine student needs and guide program planning, to help parents better understand their student’s needs, to help students plan a personal fitness program, and to improve the teachers’ abilities to fulfill the state required Fitness Gram assessment given annually to all students 3rd grade and above. | $3,403.00 |
| Westward Ho!...Pioneers Life | Mambrino School | Melinda Robertson Nancy Comeau Lori Shupe Kelli Godi |
What was life like without current technologies? By building a wagon, the students will be able to feel the journey of traveling, hardships, and accomplishments of the pioneer life.Through this grant our fifth graders will experience firsthand about pioneers, Colonial America, and Westward Expansion. Our students will build a wagon to take the journey and learn how to grow their own herbs. The students will learn more about United States History through their experiences of “being there” in the moment. Experiencing colonization and working together for economic growth will allow them to internalize the reasons that people moved west. | $3,014.54 |
| Step Right Up | Oak Woods School | Mitzi Johnson Cami Gilbert Lissa Oliver |
Physically active children will perform better in academic areas. In effort to make physical activity fun and engaging, students will wear pedometers during P.E. class. As students move, they will notice how movement and activity add to "steps". Students will record their steps on a Google Sheet where results are monitered and tracked. Students will begin to set personal step goals. As students also learn about nutrition and other healthy habits, they will be able to evaluate and see trends of their own healthy lifestyle. By the end of the semester, students will present their results and experience. | $1,500.06 |
| No Strings To Tie Me Down: The Pinocchio Effect |
Baccus Elementary School |
Suzanne Back
Melanie Clifton
Dana ReinkeLori Williams |
With many learning activities available, students are excited to use Smartboards in the classroom. To use the Smartboard as an individual activity, a student uses headphones attached to the Smartboard computer, but this restricts movement. A small group using the Smartboard isdistracting to other students because the music/sounds accompanying the activity are broadcast over the classroom speakers. In order to effectively utilize the Smartboards in our classrooms, a multiple headset wireless headphone system is needed. Wireless headphones will allow more students to access the Smartboard. No wires, no tangles, more smiles! | $1,207.48 |
| Do You Hear the People Sing/Play | Granbury Middle School | Caitlan Leblo Michele Kahne James Beeson Jeremy Bowen Dawn Crnkovic |
Have you ever gone to a musical or concert and heard someone say, “Well I am sure they were really great, but I couldn’t hear the performers.”? Or, “They did such a great a great job, but the feedback from the microphones was terrible!” Our students work tirelessly for months on end rehearsing so they can perform at their best for parents, teachers, and community members. They deserve to be heard! For that to happen, we need new microphones. | $3,899.88 |
| Pioneering: A Step Back In Time | Baccus Elementary School | Melanie Clifton Lori Williams Suzanne Back Dana Reinke |
Have you ever wanted to step back in time?! Second grade students will discover how pioneers lived, worked, and went to school when visiting Pioneer Village in Ft. Worth, TX. Visiting a living history museum will allow our students to experience the past in an engaging, exciting way! We will travel throughout the village to see the gristmill where grains were ground, a one-room school house, watch wood working, and see the blacksmith as he forges metal into tools! The opportunity to step back into the 1800's will allow second grade students to gain knowledge of America's history | $1,051.40 |
| A Pictures Worth a Thousand Words | Granbury High School | Darlene Windham Cindy Jackson |
Project Based Learning emphasizes authentic, real-world investigations and experiences and our students will do this through studying crime scenes. In both classes crime scene investigation is used to gather data, analyze and draw fact-based conclusions. By using digital cameras, our students will be able to gather the evidence required for our scientific investigations usung the same methods as forensic scientist gather the evidence required for their criminal investigations. | $2,500.00 |
| Fire and Ice Mobile Presentation by Perot Museum |
Baccus Elementary School | Patti Collier | A mobile presentation by Perot Museum of Dallas, “This explosive and entertaining auditorium performance teaches about matter in a unique way. Your students will see firsthand how matter changes when we add and remove extreme amounts of heat. The program covers states of matter, basic behavior of atoms and molecules, physical and chemical changes of matter and more!” | $470.00 |
| An Outrageous Ocean Adventure | Baccus Elementary School | Annette Gilley Caitlin Lott MelissaSmith Ashley Page |
Stephen’s Ocean Adventure concert gives kids the opportunity to move, dance, participate, listen, & most importantly, have fun! This show provides children the information needed to develop their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. Stephen’s interactive celebration of music & learning is a solid hour of movement with a generous helping of rhythm, repetition, and rhyme to create a festive buffet of entertainment and fun. Stephen provides a fun tour of things happening above and below the surface of one, ginormous ocean. | $966.00 |
| Total: | $58,966.17 |
| Name of Award | Campus | Teachers | Award | $ Amount |
| CTE Certification Assistance | Granbury High School | Judy Gentry | GEF CTE Endowment for Certification Assistance | $3,000.00 |
Fall 2014 Grant Awards (for 2014-15 School Year)
|
Campus |
Teachers |
Abstract |
$ Amount |
|
|
Classrooms without Walls H-E-B Tournament of Champions Award
|
Acton Elementary |
Karla Willmeth |
Outdoor classrooms are powerful vehicles to achieve educational goals. They naturally motivate students to learn through the “sense of wonder.” Through direct experience within natural settings, outdoor education spaces allow students to explore all areas of the elementary curriculum in an alternate environment that enhances the information previously learned in the indoor classroom. Outdoor classrooms are not only applicable when teaching science, but can also be used to provide space for hands-on learning in English, math, fine arts, social studies, and physical education. Students will gain knowledge, while enjoying opportunities to learn outside the normal classroom setting. |
$1,916.26 |
|
U.S. Veteran Archive Project |
STARS Accelerated |
Rhonda Naylor |
The US Veterans Museum Archive Project in Granbury will be a partnership with the social studies classes. The students will video veterans' interviews to document their service history. These recordings and other artifacts will be properly preserved with the help of Tom Green ata the Granbury US Veterans Museum. Then they will be submitted to The Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University and/or the U.S. Library of Congress to be archived. These hands on experiences will teach our students video and editing skills while creating interpersonal relationships and connections with veterans thus strengthening community awareness. |
$754.57 |
|
The Four C’s & Me |
Acton Elementary |
Deborah Sullivan |
The Four C’s known as 21st Century Competencies (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, & Communication) are key factors for success both in the classroom and beyond. Programming robots to accomplish specific tasks requires students to use skills across the curriculum (math, science, reading, and technology) to effectively build, program, test, and revise robots. |
$2,677.24 |
|
Sing to Read with Dr. Mike |
Emma Roberson |
Kim Cheyne |
Sing with Dr. Mike was a training our team attended duriwng summer conference. It was such an engaging and relevant training that we would like to have access to his materials on a daily basis. His material promost phonemic awareness, gross motor coordination and cross lateral movement. Most importantly his material help the students develop a genuine love for reading. |
$1,625.00 |
|
Guitar Playing: A Better Foundation for Learning |
Acton Elementary |
Stephanie Gravley |
Music is a powerful part of our personal lives and yet when in the school atmosphere, many times, we turn it off. Music is one of the best parts of life. Brain research shows that learning to read and play music stimulates learning; therefore, it can lead to accelerated rates of learning and comprehension in math, science and reading. Learning to play an instrument also has many other great benefits. Some of the other benefits are having the ability to focus, learning patience, gaining self-confidence, and hand coordination. Giving students an opportunity to learn how to play a guitar would be a wonderful hands-on tool to help students achieve this goal. |
$2,863.09 |
|
Duck (and Chick) Dynasty |
Emma Roberson |
Pam Adams |
In order for our students to have a robust vocabulary, they must have real-life experiences. These experiences help build vocabulary and background knowledge across the curriculum empowering students to achieve academic success. |
$2,964.68 |
|
Let Our People Chrome David & Chanda Smith Award
|
Granbury High School |
Mike Tabor |
We want to purchase Chromebooks to allow our art students to have technology on-hand at all times. Students will be able to combine art and technology by taking virtual tours of art museums, researching famous artists’ works, creating QR codes for art shows, and providing virtual lesson plans for other Art 1 students in the district |
$3,000.00 |
|
Make Every Minute Count! |
Acton Elementary |
Katie Agor |
Interactive, challenging, engaging, and fun are words that should describe the learning communities within the modern classroom. Our instructional team would like to continue to inspire this type of learning in the classroom by providing wireless headphones for the students to use while engaged in differentiated learning activities with an interactive whiteboard. We would also like to provide each first grade teacher on our team with a license for a digital resource that gives our young writers a high-tech boost and celebrates the magic and fun of writing. |
$1,574.20 |
|
Publishing in 2nd Grade: Biographies of Our Special Friends |
Baccus Elementary |
Lori Williams |
Have you ever wanted to see your writing in a color, hard bound, published book? This is the chance of a lifetime for our students. We will use this activity as a culminating experience to a year’s worth of writing, editing, grammar, friendship building and spelling. Each student will interview a fellow friend, organize, pre-write, edit, write, edit again, and illustrate their writing. When our books return we will hold an “Author’s Reception” where parents and fellow students in our school can come and look at our accomplishments. This project will enhance self-esteem, writing qualities and over all academic success. |
$1,755.60 |
|
Creative Expression |
Oak Woods School |
Sheri Doucet |
Development of thinking skills and positive social skills, including the 21st century skill of collaboration are benefits of learning about the Visual Arts. These ideas support our campus goals of improvement in student performance. |
$500.00 |
|
Thinking Inside the Box! |
Brawner Intermediate |
Jayme Duckett |
In an effort to provide hands-on experiences for our diverse learners and to improve vocabulary, the “Science in a box” project will provide ready- made science experiments that can be checked out by students and taken home or by teachers to use on campus and in classrooms. These ready-made kits are already prepared with all the materials and directions students will need to conduct science experiments in the areas of life science, earth science, and physical science that relate to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills objectives. |
$1,500.00 |
|
The Wings of Flight |
Granbury |
Rebecca Strain |
Students will participate in PBL unit on The Wings of Flight that includes working with experts in the field of aviation. They will go on a field trip to iFLY Indoor Skydiving, which has a wind tunnel that is a wonder of math, science, and engineering. It will connect what students learn in school to what can be achieved in real life. On the field trip to iFLY Dallas, Gifted and Talented Math Counts Advisory students and Gateway to Technology students will conduct experiments using aircraft instruments, receive flying and safety training, fly in the wind tunnel, and hear a physics lecture from an accredited educator about the math and science behind a vertical wind tunnel. https://dallas.iflyworld.com/education They will further their studies when they return to campus and present what they learned to staff, students, experts and community members. |
$1,535.00 |
|
LED Fiber Optic Hand Carpet |
Emma Roberson |
Laura Osinga |
The hands on LED Fiber Optic Carpet would be mounted on the wall in the motor lab room (no technology support needed). This carpet is an innovative way to provide students with the opportunity to develop the motor skills, cause and effect skills, gross motor skills, self-calming techniques, and can provide support to student's IEP's (Individualized Education Program) and/or BIP's (Behavior Intervention Plan). This Fiber Optic Hand Carpet can be implemented by and not limited to administrators, teachers, school LSSP, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Speech Therapists. This can be accessed by any student on the Emma Roberson campus. |
$3,200.00 |
|
Just a Swingin' |
Crossland 9th |
Mark Kirk |
Students will be assigned to work in teams of four to research, design, draw blueprints, create brochure, put together a material list and build a two person swing in a stand-alone frame. The teams will be competing against each other to see who will put together the nicest finished product. |
$2,200.00 |
|
Practical Applications of One-Dimensional Kinematics |
Granbury High School |
Jason Heath |
One-dimensional kinematics is the first unit of physics, where students are introduced to the fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics. It is beneficial for students to observe demonstrations of true physics law that disprove commonly held misconceptions; for example, the incorrect belief that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones. The requested materials will assist teachers in correcting these notions and preparing students for success on common assessments, the ACT, and AP Physics exams. |
$3,000.00 |
|
Technological Innovation in Music Education |
Granbury High School |
Tahlequah Kirk |
The MalletKate is a great innovative tool allowing our students to create true realistic sounds of (though in a virtual and/or synthesized form) instruments we do not physically have available to us (steel drums, Taiko Drums from Japan, and Indian Sitars, and many others). This allows our ensembles to explore literature we would otherwise not be able to, thus giving our students a broader, more cultured overall experience. |
$3,018.00 |
|
PBL with 21st Century Tech |
Crossland 9th |
Heather Fuller |
GISD is alive with the energy of Project Based Learning that catapults our students into the 21st century with skills that will enable them to think on a college level, transition into a collaborative work place, and encourage involvement in their local community. Granbury Education Foundation can facilitate this process by empowering problem-solving students with highly flexible Microsoft Surface Pro tablets. These tools will allow students to seamlessly transition between Google apps and Windows programs while working collaboratively with their peers on carefully planned World Geography classroom projects. |
$2,670.78 |
|
An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making |
Baccus Elementary |
Kim Hare |
An Adventure 65 Million Years in the Making! Help Pre-K students have one of the happiest experiences of their lives. Over 150 life size dinosaurs are waiting to be discovered at Dinosaur World in Glen Rose. This grant would allow Pre-K pirates a learning experience to leave Granbury and understand how big dinosaurs really were. Dinosaur World has thousands of artifacts, specimens and items on display. The park is a unique and fun filled learning experience like no other. |
$753.00 |
|
Tablets- Tools Not Toys |
Baccus Elementary |
Lori Williams |
After seeing significant gains in the automaticity of students using tablets in mathematics, the Second-Grade Teachers of Nettie Baccus Elementary are looking to both A: implement the use of tablets in their classroom mathematics classes, and B: conduct classroom research into the usage of tablets to improve reading fluency. We are seeking the purchase of 20 tablets to be used 5 per classroom in small groups for math and reading. |
$2,939.80 |
|
Outdoor Adventure at Fossil Rim |
Emma Roberson |
Teri Call |
We would like to take our Pre-K students on a field trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Students would ride in their open aired ssafari vehicles, attend a hands-on educational workshop, and visit the petting zoo. |
$2,575.00 |
|
Blown Away by Data Buford Thompson Company Award
|
Granbury High School |
Todd Gibson
Brad Eppler
Greg Bellau
|
The engineering department is requesting a wind tunnel that will allow engineering students to test and analyze various designs and prototypes of projects in a variety of classes from 9th-12th grades. |
$2,209.10 |
|
Transforming Fitness and Wellness with Pedometers Lake Granbury Medical Center Award
|
Acton Middle School |
Sherri Nichols |
A pedometer program could be used as an intervention strategy in our Fitness and Wellness classes to increase the awareness of, and motivate students to achieve at least the daily minimum recommended amount of physical activity. |
$2,997.93 |
|
Name of Award |
Campus |
Funded By |
Abstract |
Amount |
|
Handicap Ramp for GISD Outdoor Learning Center |
Acton Middle School |
50 Fellas Foodfest & Hood County Bar Association |
With a handicap ramp, the GISD Outdoor Learning Center will be accessible to all GISD students. |
$3,600.00 |
Spring 2014 Grant Awards (for 2014-15 School Year)
|
Name of Grant |
Campus |
Teachers |
Abstract |
Amount |
|
STEM Mobile Museum |
Oak Woods School |
Laura Meek, Kim Rains, Traci Logsdon |
The MobileEd Productions STEM Museum/Science Safari is a touring program that turns a gymnasium into a hands-on children's museum focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education. The activities are suitable for grades 3-5 and the workstations not only augment our existing science and math curriculum, but expose our students to high-tech fields of study they never had access to before. The STEM Mobile Museum is innovative in its approach to learning and supports improved math and science education for all students. |
$1,990.00 |
|
Bringing Ideas to Life |
Granbury High School, Crossland Ninth Grade Center |
Todd Gibson, Jud Griffith, Greg Belleau |
The engineering department is requesting a 3-D printer that will allow engineering students to print CAD designs for various classroom activities, prototyping, and competitions. Instead of just creating things in a virtual world, 3-D printing allows engineers and businesses to create tangible items that were made on design software. This process will open up a whole new realm of possibilities as well as allow engineering students a way to fabricate and test prototypes. 3D printing is a powerful new technology that is becoming more and more popular in the design fabrication world. Integrating cutting-edge technology is a key focus in our district, and this machine will motivate students in their quest to solve problems in their engineering projects as well as open doors to industry related technology. |
$2,961.13
|
|
Caching In |
Brawner Intermediate |
Pam Frye, Alicia Allen, Jennifer Sullivan, Kristin Wendel |
For students to compete in the 21st Century, students need to have access to technology and experiences that are enriching and help them to become great problem solvers. Using the stepping stones of math, science, technology and social studies, students will embark on adventures to locate treasures within the natural setting that the earth provides. Geocaching is an exciting way to help students achieve that groundwork for success while fostering those skills. Geocaching transforms the traditional classroom into an inquiry-based , exploratory learning environment that fosters the tenets of project based learning. | $2,991.10 |
|
Puppet Productions |
Mambrino School |
Katie Jordan, Kathy Anderson |
Our district has placed an emphasis on teaching students 21st Century Skills, which include creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration, to prepare them for a successful future. We feel that a puppet theater in the library will enhance creativity, collaboration, and communication for the students in Pre-kindergarten thru 2nd grade. The theater in the library will help students increase these skills by having them work in groups to present puppet shows, create alternate endings, and perform in front of fellow classmates. The theater will also assist the vocabulary growth of second language learners in our school |
$761.83 |
|
Pond… James Pond, License to Fish |
Granbury High School |
Dene’ Carter, Jennifer Harvey, Doug Kissinger |
Project Based Learning emphasizes authentic, real-world investigations and experiences. Our students have an opportunity to participate in an environmental project that could impact future students for years to come. With a few improvements needed for work space, students from several science courses will be able to investigate the environmental (physical, chemical, geological, and biological) features of a pond located on Granbury ISD property. After evaluation of the pond’s health and carrying capacity, students will work in conjunction with the Outdoor Adventures class to create, implement, and monitor a sustainable plan to stock the pond with game fish. |
$3,000.00 |
|
Hugle Kulture: A Project in Water Conservation |
Brawner Intermediate |
Kristin Wendel, Pam Frye |
The 5th grade team at Brawner Intermediate aspires to teach students about the process of energy exchange, stability within an ecosystem, healthy eating, entrepreneurial skills, and the plant life cycle by participating in the creation of hugelkultur. Through this, the students will gain hands on experience in a study that reaches into all core subject areas. |
$445.00 |
|
Face the Science! |
Brawner Intermediate |
Pam Frye, Alicia Allen |
Bring science to life without leaving the classroom! The Distance Learning programs provide those opportunities for our students. Students can travel to places otherwise impossible through guided tours provided by experts in the field. Students have opportunities to interact with those experts and deepen their academic knowledge through real-world experiences without the cost and time of traveling to each science site! |
$1,240.00 |
|
Photoelectric Demonstration with Technological Integration |
Granbury High School |
Janel Morris, Kit Langdon, Erica Woodyard, Joe Overstreet |
With the College Board’s introduction of AP Physics 1 and 2 courses in 2014-15, students are expected to understand that waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without permanent transfer of mass and serve as a model for the description of other phenomena. Using helium-neon lasers and iPads during inquiry-based labs, students will master knowledge of these fundamental scientific principles. These experiments will be modified for on-level physics curriculum as well, so that all physics students utilize the materials. Additionally, the iPads will be used for data collection in a variety of experiments throughout the year. |
$2,909.47 |
|
Automotive Technology Functions, Applications, and Services |
Granbury High School |
David Carlson |
Due to the new high school graduation plan, vocational training enrollment is expected to rise in automotive technical courses. Adding the materials outlined in this grant application to the automotive supply inventory would be extremely beneficial in maximizing instructional classroom time and applied learning in the automotive shop. Early projections indicate these items would give students an additional 30-40 hours of learning time per school year. In addition, students would be able to complete diagnostics, repairs, and installations in order to return vehicles more quickly to the faculty, staff, and community members who provide their automobiles for student applied learning. |
$461.21 |
|
First Move: Engaging Youngs Minds Through Chess |
Mambrino, Brawner, Acton Elem., Oak Woods, Baccus, Roberson |
Dana Goode, Kelley Phillips, Shari Guthery, Donnie Cody, Allison White, Kellie Lambert |
First Move in-class chess curriculum was created specifically for 2nd and 3rd grade students to support the development of foundational critical thinking and problem solving skills-21st Century competencies embraced and targeted by GISD. Students across the district would use the skills taught within the First Move curriculum to improve reading, writing, math, science and social studies skills during weekly 50 minute lessons taught in their classrooms. Each child would receive a chess set to take home and keep. Additionally, a Family Activity book would be provided to each child to promote parent involvement while practicing problem solving skills. Through First Move, problem solving and learning become a game! |
$3,000.00 |
|
Dyslexic: Not Disabled!
HEB Tournament of Champions Award |
Mambrino School |
Suzan Turner, Deborah Moody, Judy Willingham, Lori Shupe |
Dyslexic students are typically highly intelligent, but unable to read at grade level with the competence needed to access all genres of text and master grade level curriculum in all content areas in an efficient and independent manner. Electronic Reading Pens will allow students to have text read to them, as well as be able to obtain correct pronunciation and definitions of unknown vocabulary. This will afford dyslexic students a greater degree of understanding and engagement in grade level curriculum. Dyslexia instruction/remediation is part of the regular education program in Texas and does not receive any special funding for the education of students with this specific learning disability.
|
$2,000.00 |
|
Why You Field Trippin’? |
Granbury Middle School & Acton Middle School |
Valerie Brau |
Why You Field Trippin’? will aid students in seeing a new future. By allowing students to visit Mrs. Baird’s Plant and the Bureau of Engraving, students will be able to envision themselves in careers they never considered. Then by touring Tarleton University, students will be introduced to the educational opportunities that are available close to home. Especially for the low socio-economic students, Tarleton is a viable option in terms of cost and student aid. After students enter these “new worlds”, they will learn that their GISD journey and college is the pathway for changing their circumstances in life.
|
$1,439.80 |
|
Name of Grant |
Campus |
Principal |
Abstract |
Amount |
|
|
A Night at the Museum |
Oak Woods School |
Donnie Cody |
Oak Woods School will host a family Science night during the 2014-2015 school year. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas will bring the museum to Granbury. Activities and demonstrations that represent each of the exhibit halls at the museum will come to life on “The Night at the Museum”. Students will rotate from station to station learning about chain reactions, nutrition, weather and more |
$945.00 |
|
|
Geocaching & Trail Vision |
Acton Middle School |
Jimmy D. Dawson |
First, we need 6 GPS receivers to go with an outdoor learning curriculum called Educaching. We have found an outdoor learning environment curriculum that will fit math and science perfectly with geocaching lessons. The educaching activities and lessons are pre-made activities to engage students and differentiate instruction for all learners, including a perfect fit for the GISD OLC. |
$1000.00 |
|
|
Dr. Seuss Family Night |
Emma Roberson Elementary School |
Kellie Lambert |
Our school will host a family reading, math and science night during the 2014-2015 school year. The teachers will pair and create an activity in one of the core subject areas that relates to a Dr. Seuss book. Teachers will dress as characters in their book and provide a unique activity that supports the K-2 TEKS that also relates to their book. Students will rotate from station to station learning various skills through exciting, active, hands on experiences.
|
$1000.00 |
|
|
STEM Museum- Bring a Hands-On Museum to Your School! |
Baccus Elementary School |
Leslie Tewell |
What if you could bring the experience of visiting a science museum right to your school? If awarded this grant, our school can! Mobile Ed’s STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Museum has something for all grade levels and interests. A museum and all of the contents are brought to the school and set up (with the help of volunteers) the day before the presentation. Students are encouraged to discover learning at the museum at their own pace while managing their time between stations that appeal to their individual interests. All students in third through fifth grades will be able to explore the museum for 45 minutes during the school day.
|
$999.00 |
|
|
College Tour and Ropes Course |
Crossland Ninth Grade Center |
Ron Holmgreen |
The GEF grant will be used to transport our geometry students to Tarleton to participate in leadership activities and to tour the campus. This trip will allow the geometry students to develop leadership skills and observe a university. |
$1,000.00 |
|
|
Mystery Dessert Theater Family Night |
Acton Elementary School |
Anna Roe |
Our school will host a “Mystery Dessert Theater” for a family night. Families will come to enjoy dessert and fellowship while participating in a kid-friendly mystery party. The audience will be engaged as they interact with one another to investigate clues and characters and interact with a troupe of actors who assist in furthering the plot with clues, props and costumes. The GEF grant will fund the actors, script and travel for the mystery performance. |
|
|
|
Children’s Opera Theatre Tour |
Mambrino School |
Dana Goode |
The Children’s Opera Theatre performs for many students across the state of Texas. Providing our students with positive experiences inspires a lifelong understanding of performing arts, and creates curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. With this grant, we would have the opportunity to take our students to see a live opera performance at the Granbury Opera House. |
$634.50 |
|
|
College? Ready! Set! Go! |
Granbury Middle School |
Pat Yelverton |
The GEF grant will be used to fund field trips for 8th grade students to neighboring colleges, universities, and technical or trade schools. Most 8th grade students that are enrolled in English I and Algebra I are not testing on days that the rest of the 8th grade students are taking STAAR 8th Math and STAAR 8th Reading. They spend the day playing in the gym or just being quiet in a holding room until the testing is done. I would like for them to be able to visit a college, university, or some type of post-secondary school. I want to begin to see what life is like after high school and how the choices they make now will play out later in life in the careers they chose. I plan on taking all of the Algebra I students and English I to local Universities like Tarleton, UTA, TSTC (Texas State Technical College) and or a post- secondary school on days they are not testing.
|
$1,000.00 |
|
|
Children’s Opera Theatre Tour |
Brawner Intermediate School |
Stacie Brown |
The Children’s Opera Theatre performs for many students across the state of Texas. Providing our students with positive experiences inspires a lifelong understanding of performing arts, and creates curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. With this grant, we would have the opportunity to take our students to see a live opera performance at the Granbury Opera House.
|
$790.80 |
|
Name of Award |
Campus |
Funded By |
Abstract |
Amount |
|
CTE Certification Assistance |
Granbury High School |
Briscoe Real Estate |
GEF CTE Endowment for Certification Assistance |
$3,000.00 |
Spring 2013 Grants (for 2013-14 School Year)
-
Name of Grant
Campus
Teachers
Abstract
Amount
Growing Minds, Growing Vines
Oak Woods
School
Renee Hawthorne, Fran Brothers,
Erica Powell,
Samatha Barnett,
DeAnn Travis
By the Fall of 2013, Growing Minds, Growing Vines will create a school garden and butterfly habitat to engage students in project-based learning across all subject areas, with specific focus on science, math and writing with the ultimate aim of providing experiential learning opportunities for all students. In return, these opportunities will create stronger interpersonal relationships among students as well as increase parental and community involvement in our school.
$1,889.35
Student Collaboration in Mathematics with SMART Slates
Granbury Middle School
Rebecca Strain, Pat Yelverton
In order to prepare students for the 21st Century job market and meet GISD Adequate Yearly
Progress in middle school mathematics, both of which are GISD goals, mathematics classrooms
must change their design. Instead of the teacher being the “giver” and the student being the
“receiver” of mathematical information and knowledge, teachers must instead become the
facilitator. They must ask the challenging mathematical questions, and students must work
collaboratively to solve problems and communicate their thinking and learning to others.
This grant is for the purchase of six SMART Slates, which innovatively take the interactive SMART
Board directly to the students, so they can efficiently and effectively discuss their problem-solving and thinking with others in the mathematics classroom.
$2,047.80
Outdoor Learning Center- Wetlands Area
Acton Elementary
School
Brandy Lillagore, Karla Willmeth, Anna Roe
Outdoor education is learning by doing. It is a powerful way to get students excited about the outdoors and interested in hands-on learning about the natural world. We hope to combine a fresh look at science, history, math, language arts, and visual arts with the joy of the great outdoors! Students learn by seeing, touching, and discovering the world around them. Creating an outdoor learning center based on existing GISD property would provide the setting GISD needs to give students cutting edge instructional opportunities that will enrich and extend the district’s curriculum and instill a positive lifelong attitude toward learning.
$2,964.22
Enrichment for ALL students
Baccus Elementary
School
Pam Carver, Vonda Ore, Michelle Payne, Lori Ramirez
Our goal as an educator is to engage our students. The engineering and programing of robots is an excellent way to apply math, science, reading skills and technology to a Problem Based Learning Enrichment Program. The exposure of current technology for our K-5th grade students will better prepare them for learning in the future in school as well as when they graduate. When students are engaged they are learning.
$2,841.33
Astronomy on Wheels
Oak Woods
School
Kristen Thigpen, Melissa Shipp, Chelsey Gibson, Renee Mellencamp, Kathy Williams
The Fort Worth Mobile Planetarium provides an inflatable classroom of space study for our school. The planetarium allows students to experience our galaxy, constellations, and stars. It is innovative and supports improved math and science education for students. The entire school will benefit from a grade appropriate look at the current sky with a planetarium staff member allowing time for questions and further study. For two days, the Ft. Worth museum will set up and lead 40-50 min long programs for each grade level to attend.
$915.00
Multiplication Boot Camp
Brawner Intermediate
School
Nicole Moody, Melissa McKelvain, Stacie Brown
What did you say? Multiplication Rocks??? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!
Multiplication Boot Camp will provide intensive exposure, practice and application of basic multiplication facts to students in the 3rd and 4th grades. After an intensive “basic training” in grade level multiplication TEKS at both 3rd and 4th grade, students will apply and extend their knowledge of multiplication by designing and running an actual Boot Camp Training Course for all 3rd and 4th grade students.
$806.28
GISD Outdoor Learning Center: Woodlands Ecosystem
H-E-B Grant Award
Acton Middle School
Scott Carpenter, Jimmy Dawson, John Forrester, Kathyrn Habluetzel
A district Outdoor Learning Center will bridge gaps between students across various campuses and grade levels. Students will benefit from existing GISD property to create powerful memories and experiences through project-based learning. Creating a woodlands ecosystem will provide students an understanding of how they connect to the world. Research shows students spend 90% of their time indoors, building walls between themselves and the outside world. Being outdoors opens minds, increases brain activity, thus improving student motivation and creativity. Students will understand environmental stewardship and reflect on how various cycles evolve the land and its inhabitants into a sustainable, living-system.
$2,994.19
Low Ropes Course/Outdoor Learning Center
Acton Middle School
Natilee Noble, Mary Cutlip
As we are leaning towards Project Based Learning (PBL), the incorporation of an outdoor learning area will benefit all curriculum areas of our school community. PBL encompasses a cross-curricular problem solving/critical thinking process in the same way Language Arts spams the curriculum. Ropes courses help students develop socially, emotionally, interpersonal skills, teamwork, motivation, self-confidence, and a sense of accomplishment within a group. Part of our students’ future includes the use and care of their environment. Creating an area where critical thinking can occur as well as a place for reflection of thoughts will help connect real life to their education.
$2,934.07
`DSLR Camera Productions
Granbury High School
Judy Gentry, Kristen Baldridge, Dawn Bradley
Educators in the Arts and AV Technology cluster have the arduous task of teaching students about an industry that is based on continuously changing technology. Within the past 2 years the CTE department has purchased 6 new camcorders. While these camcorders are good beginning level cameras, the features are extremely limited. As the number of students taking advanced classes continues to grow, the needs of the students change. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras offer students benefits that are not possible with a camcorder, yet, at the same time cost much less than professional grade equipment.
For this reason we are requesting two DSLR cameras with lenses and accessories.
$2,734.00
Cultural Fluency: Using Ipads to enrich the Language Learning Process
Granbury High School
Tammy Clark, Melinda Rose, Ernie Lambert
We will purchase 5 iPads to be used in collaborative groups for the upper level French, Spanish, and German courses. Our goal is to increase the cultural fluency, technological fluency, as well as language fluency with the use of current technology tools in an innovative way to enrich the language and culture classroom. The students will be able to access recording applications to improve both presentational and interpersonal communication, and access authentic materials from the target cultures in order to explore those cultures within the contexts of the foreign language standards.
$2,845.00
The Learning Garden
Acton Elementary
School
Jane Reppa, Phyllis DeRoos Bolton
The Learning Garden will afford our students the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills and apply them to multiple challenges which will hold real interest and meaning. This is a real world application for using critical thinking to solve problems creatively now and in the future. The students will become totally engaged in the environment and how it can be responsibly managed and they will have fun learning!
$2,998.00
iLearn. iDiscover. iPad (minis)
Baccus Elementary
School
Kelly Eppler,
Anita Gill
A long standing model of education functions under the belief that the teacher or the textbook is the keeper of all knowledge and it is the teacher’s role to disseminate that knowledge to their pupils. We cannot operate with that notion in mind. As educators, we are attempting to prepare our charges for jobs that have yet to be created in a world that is quickly leaving our students behind. We must provide our students with opportunities to become adept at using technology to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the process of learning. Classroom iPad Mimis will aid us in preparing students to be productive leaders and to make meaningful, pioneering contributions in the field of math and science.
$2,712.50
Project Based Learning in Hand; The Future Will Not be Multiple Choice
Crossland Ninth Grade Center
Kim Dove, Diane Fullerton, Rene Jackson, Leslie Tewell
Imagine a classroom where teachers make the essential elements of Project Based Learning come alive and bring to light 21st century skills that will enable Crossland students to be college and work-ready as well as effective members of their communities. Granbury Education Foundation can make this a reality by putting iPads in students’ hands on a regular basis through carefully planned English classroom projects.
$2,999.00
Spring 2012 Grants (for 2012-13 School Year)
|
Name of Grant |
Campus |
Teachers |
Abstract |
$ Amount |
|
WeatherBug Program
|
Oak Woods School |
Donnie Cody Shannon Dildy Chelsey Gibson Kim Rains Leslie Tewell Mark Weeks |
The WeatherBug Program is innovative and supports improved math, science, geography, and technology education for students. Beyond the classroom benefits, the WeatherBug Program will provide Granbury with valuable weather information resources accessible via the Internet and local television.
The WeatherBug Program will place a state-of-the-art WeatherBug weather station and WeatherBug Achieve online software at Oak Woods. Real-time weather data will be used for enhanced education. The complete program also includes interactive and dynamic, K-12 lessons and activities with access on all school computers to the WeatherBug Program and the entire WeatherBug network, comprised of more than 8,000 sites. |
$3,000
|
| CenterStage Math Kits |
Oak Woods School |
Kim Rains Mark Weeks Suzy Tabor |
CenterStage Math will engage students in practicing essential concepts and skills. Five topic-specific learning centers support our math curriculum with hands-on activities and manipulatives for collaborative or independent work. Comprehensive teacher support includes lesson plans, blackline masters, and tips for managing a center-based math classroom. |
$840
|
|
Every Child Succeeds – Looking To the Future
|
Acton Elementary School |
Katie Agor Jennifer Egdorf Ruth Matheny Natalee Sommerfeld |
Learning communities in our modern technological society should be immersed in fun, engaging, interactive, and challenging experiences within the classroom environment. Our instructional team would like to do everything we can to inspire students to take command of inventing, acquiring and sharing their knowledge with others. We can facilitate this type of learning by using document cameras as a tool. Imagine students demonstrating to others how they solved a problem instead of telling how they did it. The document cameras will provide students the opportunity to demonstrate higher-level thinking across the entire spectrum of our curriculum. |
$2,640
|
|
Connecting the Unconnected |
Granbury Middle School |
Kristie Berryman Ashley Gill |
Research shows in order for students to learn, they must make connections to the real world. Our school’s demographics reveal our students’ limited opportunities to make true real-world connections due to their economic status. We would like to provide an opportunity for our students to connect learning from all subjects in 7th grade to real life, reflect on these experiences, and see the value and reward in becoming life-long learners. In order to bring learning to life, we would like to take all 7th grade students on a trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Natural History and Omni Theater. |
$2,766
|
| Rachel’s Challenge
|
5 GISD Elementary Campuses (Baccus, Brawner, Emma, Mambrino and Oak Woods) |
Trisha Suitt (Baccus) Stacie Brown (Brawner) Kelly Lambert (Emma) Beckie Johnson (Mambrino) Donnie Cody (Oak Woods) Leslie Tewell Becky Strain |
The Rachel’s Challenge Elementary program is designed to instill values such as kindness, compassion, goal-setting, and acceptance. Rachel Scott modeled this way of life and believed that if one person showed compassion it could start a chain reaction of the same. Her hands of kindness are now reaching all over the world and we want to encourage our students to do the same.
The program is geared towards addressing isolation, prejudice and bullying in a manner appropriate for younger audiences. The program includes a year’s worth of activities and support that will help sustain the momentum throughout the year. |
$3,000
|
|
"The Dyslexic Brian (Brain): Learning and Teaching with iPads"
|
Brawner Intermediate School |
Stacie Brown Lorna Cockerham |
Provide dyslexic students with the opportunity to use iPad technology during reading instruction. The iPad's customizable format (font and lighting adjustments), and kinesthetic movement would make an ideal learning tool for these students. The triple-click voiceover function would allow them to switch text-to-speech and other functions on and off easily. Dyslexia is considered as part of regular education in the state of Texas, so the program does not receive any specific funding for students with this learning disability. |
$2,995
|
| Classroom Kindles |
Oak Woods School |
Keryn Herbold Kim Rains Mark Weeks |
With this Education Foundation Grant, the teacher team will purchase 24 Kindle Touch eBook readers with Wi-Fi connectivity for $99 each. We will purchase $400 in Amazon.com gift cards to use to buy eBooks for each device. We will download free eBooks from resources online and utilize the Hood County library’s new eBook collection.
Using the Kindles in the classroom, the students will improve their ability to analyze and interpret text by practicing active reading comprehension strategies while developing proficiency with technology tools. The three teachers (referred to as the “teacher team” in the grant proposal), will collaboratively create multiple Kindle lesson plans to share within our campus which teach basic Kindle use and use of digital reading strategies.
The teacher team will share lesson plans and successes to campus staff at a faculty meeting and help facilitate new Kindle grant proposals for other grade levels on our campus next year. |
$2,776
|
|
“iListen, iLearn: iPods on Wheels”
|
Brawner Intermediate School (serving district students) |
Lynda Foster Stacie Brown Lorna Cockerham Jana Jimenez |
Provide “listening stations” where at-risk children would enjoy quality literature read to them by fluent readers. The stations would be available 1-2 times weekly near the Healthy Kids Meal programs at the City Park and Ranchos Brazos during the summer months. Students would have the opportunity to listen to books on iPods during their lunchtime. The “listening stations” would also be used with many at-risk students during the regular school year in our student reading lounge. |
$887
|
|
Digital Reading in the Classroom
|
Nettie Baccus Elementary |
George Robinson |
I will purchase four Kindles to be used in a small reading group. My goal is that the student will increase the amount of time on task in reading by increasing the interest level in the delivery. Texas Essentail Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) calls in TEKS 4.14 for “Reading/Media Literacy” and I believe that the reading on the Kindle will aid in the delivery of the various types of media. The student will also be able to make use of the vast library of public domain literature. |
$500
|